Advent 2013

ADVENT 2013

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF ADELAIDE

Connecting Faith, Family and Fun INSIDE: Listening for Gabriel

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THE ANGLICAN GUARDIAN

Published by the Diocese of Adelaide

Edited by Katrina McLachlan Phone: (08) 8305 9348 Fax: (08) 8305 9399 Email: communications@adelaide.anglican.com.au www.adelaide.anglican.com.au Layout by Benjamin van Caspel Phone: 0478 082 114 www.caspeldesign.com

Photography by Brenton Edwards Phone: 0419 815 443 www.storieswelltold.com.au Subscriptions: Diocesan Office 18 King William Rd, North Adelaide 5006 Phone: (08) 8305 9350 Advertising enquiries contact: Loan Leane Phone: (08) 7007 9020 loan@joiecreative.com.au Printed by Lane Print & Post Phone: (08) 8179 9900

WHISPER HIM WONDERFUL Chrsitine Nelson

Whisper Him Wonderful, The Word who speaks himself out of eternity and plunges, like a stone, into the waters of time.

Ripples still spreading, Word pierces complacency.

Light wrinkles; stale waters disturbed, to Whisper Him Wonderful.

The Guardian is a member of The Australasian Religious Press Association

Ann Nadge is The Guardian’s poetry editor. Submissions of 20 lines or less are welcome.

Send to the general editorial email address.

The joy of learning

INVESTIGATOR COLLEGE 2 Glendale Grove, Goolwa.

Ph: 8555 5755

ST. PETER’S COLLEGE Hackney Road, St. Peter’s.

Ph: 8362 3451

PEDARE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE 2-30 Surrey Farm Drive, Golden Grove.

Ph: 8280 1700

ST. PETER’S COLLEGIATE GIRLS’ SCHOOL Stonyfell Road, Stonyfell.

Ph: 8334 2200

PULTENEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 190 South Terrace, Adelaide.

Ph: 8216 5555 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL 22 Smith Street, Walkerville.

Ph: 8168 5555 ST. COLUMBA COLLEGE President Avenue, Andrew’s Farm.

Ph: 8254 0600

ANGLICAN SCHOOLS... the right choice Enquiries: Mr. Jim Raw, Anglican Schools Liaison Officer 18 King WIlliam Rd, North Adelaide 5006 Phone: 8305 9349

ST. JOHN’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL 29 Gloucester Avenue, Belair.

Ph: 8278 2233

ST. PETER’S WOODLANDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 39 Partridge Street, Glenelg.

Ph: 8295 4317 TRINITY COLLEGE Alexander Avenue, Evanston South.

Ph: 8522 0666 WALFORD ANGLICAN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 316 Unley Road, Hyde Park.

Ph: 8272 6555 WOODCROFT COLLEGE Bains Road, Morphett Vale.

Ph: 8322 2333

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ADVENT – THE SEASON OF SURPRISE Archbishop Jeffrey Driver

I write this reflection from the World Council of Churches Assembly in Busan, South Korea.

On the one Sunday I was in Korea, I was privileged to worship with a small Anglican parish. The number of World Council of Churches’ delegates who turned up nearly doubled the congregation of 20 or so. The worship reflected deeply the Anglican liturgical DNA and to that extent I knew what to expect, even though the language was unfamiliar.

But in the familiarity there were some surprises. A very special one came in the form of Catherine. She was the locum priest leading our worship. It turned out that Catherine had some special links with Adelaide. Something like 20 years ago she had been assisted to attend St Barnabas’ Theological College for a time.

She spoke about fellow students from her time who had touched her life. As she did so, even after all these years, she welled with emotion. She named them and spoke about how they had deeply touched her life.

I wondered whether these fellow students with whom she had shared the routines of learning ever realised what a gift in Christ they had been to Catherine. I suspect that they would have been surprised to know how they had touched her life.

It is like that in journey of faith. Often we are surprised by Christ as he approaches us through the care of others, or through circumstances we have not anticipated. In our preoccupied busyness, often the moment passes us by. With luck, sometimes we can see it with hindsight.

Advent challenges the Church to be intentionally open to God’s surprising approach. When the Christ the Messiah came to be born among his people, he came in a way that surprised and offended most of those who claimed to be expecting him. When people claimed to know the signs of the Messiah’s coming, Jesus warned of a coming that would have the surprise of a thief in the night.

This Advent, as we think on the surprising coming of God, may we be a Church and Diocese ready to be surprised by God. May we be willing to be surprised by developments that can seem strange and stretching. May we be ready to be surprised by possibilities beyond the familiar and new opportunities for connection, service and mission.

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fAITH Listening for Gabriel: The Advent Angel When in our Music Commitment to Anglican Faith

10 mISSION 10. Life changing work 11. WCC Assembly 12. Connecting faith, family and friends 13. Mozambique Mentors

14 fOCUS 14. A Bloomin’ Good Idea 16. Moonlighting The Way 17. Nation 2 Nation

18 SCHOOLS 18. The Wheels Of Change 19. Parish Partnership Opens Eyes and Hearts 20. The “Rhodes” to making a Difference

21 cOMMUNITY 21. God words 22. Local, National & International news 24. Books 25. People and Places 27. Advertisements

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LISTENING FOR GABRIEL: THE ADVENT ANGEL Executive Principal at St. Columba College, Madeline Brennan considers the responsibility of schools to engage students in the relevance of Advent.

Gabriel is the advent Angel, a messenger of God. The Angel Gabriel comes to Mary and says: ‘You may be a teenager in a village nobody has heard of, on the edge of the Roman Empire in an occupied country, without any education, without a vote, without even a change of clothes, and you are going to be where God happens.’ The Angel Gabriel is strong on imagination says the Reverend Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury. So, let’s turn our imagination for a moment to the purpose of Angels. They certainly do seem full of mystery and vivid imagination.

When Angels ‘look at the world, when they look at you and me, they see the extraordinary potential buried in us because they see us in our relationship

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with God’. So, what are we to make of Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, the long wait of Advent and the relevance to our lives? Yes, it is about waiting and wondering, but to what end? While Gabriel presents his message to Mary, he sees a woman who embodies the spirit of Advent perfectly, which involves both listening to God and having a deep desire to do his will in joyful service to others. Gabriel also sees a woman who ‘comes forth like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon, as resplendent as the sun’. And, yet, Mary is like us. Her simple ordinariness appeals to God and he sends his Angel out of love for us.

We have the support of a loving God. Mary listens to and accepts God’s message; she embraces his work and prepares for the birth of her special

child. Gabriel’s work is done. It would be good to think that we could embrace God’s work with such grace as Mary does. Advent allows us to think about how we can do just this.

How we prepare during Advent while we watch and wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth is key. It is no ordinary time for us. ‘Jesus will come like a child.’ Our churches and schools are vital in supporting students and families during Advent, in leading our communities in renewal and prayerfulness, in selfreflection and reconciliation. As parents and teachers we can nurture a sense of waiting, of preparing in anticipation of a great event, of helping our children and students to understand and experience the patience and effort involved in meaning-making about Advent.

Advent is a gift to parents and grandparents because it is the ‘story of all stories’. It’s a way to help children talk about their understanding of Jesus and to watch them define Jesus for themselves. Let us remember that Jesus has a great love of children. He counsels us not to: “look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Schools take on a responsibility to engage and motivate students to interrogate the question of how Advent has relevance and meaning for their lives. The impact of Advent needs us to slow down and to feel John the Baptist’s sense of Advent that: ‘something is about to happen’. So, how do we convey this message to a child, to a Year 12 student entering the final year of school, or for that matter to our wider communities and families? Advent signals a reflective time when we wait.

Waiting is challenging, but it is our time to prepare. Like the prologue of a Shakespearean drama, Advent introduces us to the themes and messages of the Nativity; an explanatory first act which helps us to make sense of our Christian identity.

Churches and schools often begin

the season with a service blessing the Advent wreath and bringing the candles to life. As each week unfolds and each of the candles are lit, new understandings and meanings are revealed to us: First, the Hope of Jesus’ birth revealed by the Prophets as far back as Abraham; second, the Peace that God promises us; third, the Love of John the Baptist who baptised Jesus. And, as the Nativity draws near, the fourth candle brings Joy, Mary’s joyful acceptance of Gabriel’s news. Finally, the curtain rises on the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. But, this is not the whole story. The powerful sense of community, of belonging, of new beginnings in our churches and schools is palpable when we are together, when we are connected in the Christmas drama. .

Parents can turn to the new testament stories that help us to understand better the significance of Advent.

Bedtime stories of Advent can bring the season alive, as well as enrich children’s understanding and use of language.

The beautiful words and phrases of the New Testament translated from Greek into English by William Tyndale remain unsurpassed. William Tyndale, a 16th century priest and scholar, is also a role-model for teachers and students.

He was one of the greatest scholars of his day, a gifted linguist with a genius for translation. Tyndale’s bible stories can be a simple hallmark of family and school life throughout Advent and the lead up to Christmas Day. Finally, let us turn our thoughts to the children throughout the world with no parents, grandparents, churches or schools; those for whom life will never be as ours. May the Advent Angel bless them and bring them hope at Christmas.

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WHEN IN OUR MUSIC Dean of St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Very Rev’d Frank Nelson shares his vision for music in the life of our Cathedral.

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red Pratt Green is one of the 20th century’s most prolific hymn writers. A Methodist minister, who died in 2000, he crafted his lyrics to say something about God, the Church, and Christian beliefs and practice. In a way reminiscent of the sweeping ideas of Isaiah who saw the tiny nation of Israel called to proclaim the greatness of God, Pratt Green’s hymn, “When in our music, God is glorified,” suggests the church has a role in inviting the whole world to sing God’s praises.

Music has always played an important part in the worship of God, and most cathedrals strive to offer the very best of musical worship, drawing on the skills of singers and players alike. The music itself however is never the end. It draws people in; into an atmosphere, into worship. Ultimately, excellent music takes people on another step of the pilgrimage of faith. In this sense, cathedral music and architecture harmonise beautifully, together enabling worshippers to draw closer to God. The soaring melodies of voice and violin match the soaring pillars; the intricate counterpoint dovetails with the delicate tracery of panelled woodwork.

Sunday by Sunday the praises of God are sung in St Peter’s Cathedral, as they are wherever people gather to worship God. At the Eucharist much of the music is set around the ancient words of the Liturgy. Cathedral repertoire spans many centuries and crosses cultural and linguistic barriers, a sort of modern Pentecost experience of language. Composers continue to follow the usual pattern of the liturgy, writing musical settings for choir, soloist and even orchestra for the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei. Each expresses something of the faith of Christians.

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Music in worship often springs from the deepseated emotion of a worshipper seeking a way to express his or her feelings for God. We see this so clearly in the different parts of the Eucharistic Liturgy. Apart from the Credo (Creed) all other sung parts of the liturgy come from scripture. The Kyrie – Lord, have mercy – speaks of a tax collector’s deep longing to

draw closer to God, to do the right thing, to know God’s forgiveness (Luke 18: 13b).

The Gloria begins with the joyful song of the angels at the birth of Christ (Luke 2: 14); The Sanctus is the song of the worshipping seraphim seen by Isaiah in his overwhelming vision of heaven (Is 6: 3).

The Benedictus takes us straight to Palm Sunday and the excited crowd shouting: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matt 21: 9).

The Agnus Dei finds its origin in the words of John the Baptist when he identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1: 29)

The psalms of course have formed the backbone of liturgical worship, both in preChristian Judaism, and in the many different Christian traditions we know today. Anglican Cathedral worship has given the world a great gift in the singing of the psalms to Anglican Chant. Many psalms tell the story of God’s people and their struggle to be faithful to a demanding, yet loving, God. Interestingly it is the psalms that get a mention in one of the few references to music in the Gospels.

As Jesus and his disciples went out into the night, to face arrest, trial and crucifixion, they sang a psalm (Matt 26: 30; likely to have been Psalms 114 - 118). Fred Pratt Green reflects that moment in the words, “And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night.”

In my own experience music has often proved a catalyst for bringing people together. In 1990, when the South African government was doing its best to keep people of different races apart, at St Mary’s Cathedral Johannesburg, we sang the same hymn tunes, each in our own language. I well remember having a list of at least six numbers for each hymn, as people turned to their Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa, Tswana, Afrikaans or English hymnals. Another facet of the multi-layered onion which is church music was revealed during the final hymn as people in this high church cathedral sang the Great Amen to an African melody, processional cross swaying giddily as the crucifer pranced down the aisle – not a single non-smiling straightforward-looking stuffy English-style chorister in sight! In our own diocese, music could be a powerful tool to bring our dividedness together – providing, of course, that we were willing to sing each others’ songs.

Which is the best known psalm? “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23)? What about Psalm 137? The Jamaican Reggae group “The Melodians” recorded a Rastafarian song. In Let us give thanks for the rich and varied the mid ‘70s it was popularised in the West repertoire of music Anglicans enjoy, spanning

by Boney-M as the hit single “By the Rivers many centuries of Christian worship, drawing of Babylon”. In a Rastafarian context it is a on the energy and creativity of people across protest song, Babylon being a code-name the world. Give thanks for those whose for the police. The Rastafarians were not the generosity, past, present and future, ensures first people to vilify Babylon. In the Book of that God’s praises will always be sung.

Revelation “Babylon” is code for the Roman Empire, already beginning to persecute the Let every instrument be tuned for praise! fledgling Christian church (see for example Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!

Revelation 14: 8). People have always sung their pain and longing into being – whether And may God give us faith to sing always: they be the soulful African-American spirituals Alleluia! of the sugar plantations, or the celtic convict songs of Van Dieman’s Land in the early 1800s. For the Jew, Psalm 137 pours out the pain When in our music God is glorified, and grief of a people in exile, and adoration leaves no room for pride, and the blind anger and desire it is as though the whole creation cried for revenge of a people forced Alleluia! to sing their song in a foreign land.

How often, making music, we have found Today we might use Psalm 137 as a reminder that there are many people forced to sing their songs in foreign lands.

Let it remind us to pray for, and welcome, those who come to our shores as refugees, as those fleeing the chaos of an Iraq or Sudan, Syria or Egypt.

A feature of the psalms is the recitation over and over again that the people of God had themselves been captives, aliens in a foreign land. Because of that, the ancient prophets reminded people that they were to care for the alien, the orphan and the widow; in the words of Micah 6:8, “do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.”

a new dimension in the world of sound, as worship moved us to a more profound Alleluia!

So has the Church, in liturgy and song, in faith and love, through centuries of wrong, borne witness to the truth in every tongue, Alleluia!

And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night when utmost evil strove against the Light?

Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight, Alleluia!

Let every instrument be tuned for praise!

Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!

And may God give us faith to sing always Alleluia! Amen.

Christmas Services at St Peter’s Cathedral, North Adelaide St Peter’s Cathedral in North Adelaide offers people the chance to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, in all the richness and beauty of Anglican cathedral worship. A range of services beginning on Christmas Eve is offered.

Visitors are welcome at all services.

24 December – Christmas Eve 4.00pm – Children’s Crib Service An increasingly popular family celebration where children are invited to dress up as shepherds or angels, Marys, Josephs and innkeepers (costumes provided) and form the nativity tableaux.

7.00pm – The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols The Cathedral Choir leads the singing of traditional and modern carols and congregational hymns for Christmas, while the ancient prophecies and birth narratives are read. Brass players add that something extra.

11.30pm – Midnight Mass You’ll need to get in early if you want a seat as close to a thousand people experience the mystery of Christmas.

The Cathedral Choir will sing Haydn’s Missa Sancti Joannes de Deo, and choir and congregation join together to sing the grand Christmas hymns. The baby Jesus is placed in the crib and the service ends with a rendering of Widor’s Toccata on the organ.

25 December – Christmas Day 8.00am – Christmas Eucharist A quiet early morning celebration with a few Christmas Carols to sing together 10.00am – Choral Eucharist Join Christians around the world as the birth of Jesus is celebrated. The bells, the choir and congregation ring and sing out God’s praises. A parallel children’s programme is offered and the crib is blessed.

Fred Pratt Green 1903 - 2000

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COMMITMENT TO ANGLICAN FAITH

As another busy year draws to a close twelve members of the Adelaide Anglican community are looking forward to a new year that will see an exciting development in their faith journey.

On November 30 Archbishop Driver ordained an outstanding group of people from a range of cultural and career backgrounds to the Priesthood, to the Transitional Diaconate and to the Permanent Diaconate.

Held in St Peter’s Cathedral on Saint Andrew’s Day the ordinands included four women, three people of Asian descent, a married couple and individuals across a variety of ages, life experiences and previous careers including former South Australian Premier Lynn Arnold.

All of the ordinands are taking up a variety of positions throughout the Diocese and will greatly enrich the pastoral lives of all they come in contact with.

With ordination numbers not seen for decades, Archbishop Driver says it is exciting to see such enriching diversity in the Anglican Church.

“The high number and calibre of candidates being ordained this year highlights the meaningful commitment to the Anglican faith in our Diocese,” the Archbishop says.

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“We have already ordained two other people this year so that will make it 14 for the year – that’s

a bit of a record for a decade or two. I think you would have to go back to the 60s or 70s to get those numbers.

Those to be ordained included:

“There is a trend for increased vocation in the Adelaide Diocese that reflects two things.

Firstly some renewed confidence in the Church and secondly a greater diversity of ministers emerging in chaplaincies and ministries.”

Duncan Andrews (Holy Trinity North

Three of the ordinands, married couple Sam and Coria Chan from China and Bernie Wyuen Khui Leo from Malaysia, will bring even further cultural diversity to the already culturally rich Adelaide Anglican Diocese.

To the Priesthood:

Terrace and Trinity Hills) Michael Lane (Pulteney Grammar and Anglicare Chaplaincy) Paula Thorpe (St Columba College) Luke Woodhouse (Holy Trinity North Terrace and Trinity Bay) Bernie Wyuen Khui Leo (Holy Trinity North Terrace, International Students ministry)

There are equally diverse career backgrounds with a number of the ordinands coming from education including a former Head of Curriculum and Learning at St Columba College, Michael Lane; former Deputy Head of Tyndale Christian School, Grant Moore and Paula Thorpe who is a teacher at St Columba College.

To the Transitional Diaconate

Former SA Premier and CEO of Anglicare SA, Lynn Arnold, 64, will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate.

St Peter’s Cathedral and St Mark’s College)

After four years at the helm of Anglicare, Dr Arnold began studying at St Barnabas’ Theological College earlier this year in preparation for ordination and has now taken an important step towards this goal.

Samuel Chan (Mandarin Ministry, Unley) Lynn Arnold (Part time appointment St Peter’s Cathedral – Faith in the Public Square) Grant Moore (Part time appointment Simon Hill (Largs Bay) To the Permanent Diaconate: Dianne Schaefer (Hospital Chaplaincy, RAH) Coria Chan (Mandarin Ministry, Unley) Linda Brooker (Hon. Deacon Assistant, The Barossa)

PAULA’S FAITH EDUCATION Twelve talented and committed Anglicans were ordained on November 30. All have travelled interesting and uniquely individual paths to ordination. Paula Thorpe shares her ‘faith education’ with Guardian readers.

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No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’

Matthew 9:16-17 (NRSVACE)

Growing up my family weren’t churchgoers.

I learnt the Christmas story because I was chosen over some really big girls (who were probably about 7 years old) to play the Angel Gabriel in our school’s Nativity Play. In my opinion you can’t beat a pair of homemade wings and a tinsel halo to share the Gospel.

About the same time a neighbour’s little girl asked me to join Girls’ Brigade. I was pretty pleased about marching in a smart uniform (wearing white gloves-so exciting!), and so meeting the expectation to go to church once a month was a small trade off. Somewhere I have a Bible I won at Girls’ Brigade because I got the top mark in a Bible quiz, my first foray into formal theological studies. But my most vivid childhood memory of a “God moment” is in an RE class when I was in Year 7. It must have been around Easter because we were reading about the crucifixion of Jesus; and I had to fight back the tears because I was so moved. I somehow managed to find a little church just up the road and I took myself off to Sunday School quite independently every week and eventually, my brother and all our collective friends joined me. Not surprisingly the parish priest appeared on Mum and Dad’s doorstep and suggested Baptism and Confirmation might be in order.

I fell away from the church in my teens but fortunately for me (and the rest of the human race) God is pretty persistent in bugging/ loving people until it gets really hard to ignore Him. There were so many significant people on my journey who just by the way they faithfully and lovingly lived their lives made me start to question why my life felt as though there was something missing. One brave soul invited me to church and I went along a little reluctantly. The Pastor preached on Matthew 9, the passage above; and it completely changed my life. I knew I wanted to be new and I could only do that if I stopped doing my own thing and let God have a look in.

I’ve since discovered that it’s a bit dangerous telling God you’ll quite happily do whatever and the “being new” stuff is a bit more involved than I had originally anticipated.

Somehow I’ve ended up on the other side of the world as a teacher instead of a pharmacist. And somehow God has called me through the community of St Columba College to be a priest.

so it seems very fitting that I would serve as a priest in a school community. For many of our students school is their church. This is where they worship, pray, hear the Word, experience Eucharist and continue Jesus’ work in the world by, for example, making donations to Anglicare and St Vincent de Pauls. We have two thriving youth groups in the Middle and Senior Schools. The sense of community in both is very strong and I am often touched by how open the students are to exploring their often fledgling faith. I am also fortunate to be part of a “cluster” of faithful and forward thinking people in the Northern suburbs who have been teamed up by the Archbishop. We are excited about the new opportunities for a worshipping community that may arise at St Columba College. We are excited about new ways to work together, instead of independently of each other. But most of all we have a burning desire to share the good news about how much God loves the world to all those in the Northern suburbs who haven’t been fortunate enough to hear it.

This is very daunting and quite humbling, but also incredibly exciting. School played such a big part in my own faith journey and

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mISSION

LIFE CHANGING WORK

By Elizabeth Baker

I’ve been inspired by ABM’s projects throughout three years of freelance writing for the organisation. I remember listening to an interview conducted at the Christian Care Centre in the Solomon Islands from my lounge room as I wrote material for a 2010 publication.

I was moved to tears as the woman on the end of the audio spoke of the impact of her work with women fleeing domestic violence.

These women are transforming communities by educating and empowering women with parenting skills and information that helps them to build community and strengthen values.

Three years later I was lucky enough to find myself at the Christian Care Centre interviewing the charismatic Sister Doreen about her work at the only women’s refuge in the Solomon Islands.

Without this program, MU and ABM’s financial support, these women would continue to lack opportunity to learn and more importantly, teach their families and own communities.

During my visit we were shown the sewing machines and material that is provided through support from ABM and Sister Doreen made comment that she risks her life for the women and children who stay at the refuge. I quickly realised this wasn’t just an expression.

So far in 2103 the Christian Care Centre has supported 70 women and 56 children.

In 2012 they had barbed wire erected to protect them women as the perpetrators discovered their location.

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From one inspiring woman to others, day two introduced us to the women of the Mothers’ Union in the Church of Melanesia who volunteer their time to run the Positive Parenting Program that ABM funds.

When dealing with perpetrators she told me this, “I say ‘I am not scared of you, I am ready to die if you know what you are doing what is right’. Sometimes you just have to do this. My faith carries me through, my faith in God. I say to these people, ‘I’m not scared of you’ and they don’t know what to do.”

Mary, the Program Coordinator who works full time but in a voluntary capacity told me, “It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. We value our work, it’s God’s work.”

Our week continued and I met Fr Philemon Akao who is working to build a university site in Honiara and in turn strengthen the education the church can offer.

Towards the end of my stay Fr Hillary Anisi, who had chaperoned me for the week, told me about his time in Australia as part of ABM’s Encounter program which offers opportunity for learning.

Fr Hillary spent time in Tasmania and Gladstone in 2008 learning from Mission to Seafarer Chaplains. He has returned and established a Centre for Mission to Seafarers in the Solomon Island which offers hospitality, pastoral care and a safe place for international and national seafarers.

He said, “I really learnt how to run and administer a centre whilst on the Encounter program, and the importance of hospitality and I’ve tried to implement that here in the capital.”

It is clear that the work ABM supports is making real differences in the lives of locals in the Solomons. A week amongst this work proved to be full of surprises, some pleasant some shocking and it is perhaps the resilience and the strong sense of faith that I witnessed amongst this shock that made the visit such an inspiring one.

Elizabeth Baker, ABM’s media consultant, spent a week in the Solomon Islands visiting the projects and people that the Anglican Board of Mission supports.

View more at www.abmission.org.

WCC 10th Assembly plenar y © Joanna Lindén-Montes/WCC

MESSAGE OF THE WCC ASSEMBLY: “WE INTEND TO MOVE TOGETHER” “Join the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace” is the title of the Message of the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

The assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea, was convened on 30 October and drew to a close on 8 November 2013. An assembly, the highest governing body of the WCC, is held once every seven to eight years to endorse policies, review projects and point the future direction of the organisation.

Archbishop Driver was one of four Australian delegates (and advisor to the delegation) to the 10th WCC Assembly along with The Most Rev’d Dr Phillip Aspinall, Archdeacon Karen Kime and Ms Alison Jane Preston.

The “Message” of a WCC assembly is meant to report the spirit of the event as well as

common commitments of representatives from 345 member churches, related religious bodies and partner organisations. It reflects the theme of an assembly, adopted beforehand by the WCC central committee.

The theme of the Busan assembly was this brief prayer: “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.”

The original WCC assembly at Amsterdam in 1948 sent a message to the churches and the world that included the phrase “We intend to stay together.” The Message of 2013 affirms, in the context of the churches’ invitation to the pilgrimage of justice and peace, “We intend to move together.”

Describing their time in Busan and other parts of the country, participants in the 10th Assembly offered this affirmation:

“We share our experience of the search for unity in Korea as a sign of hope in the world.

This is not the only land where people live divided, in poverty and richness, happiness and violence, welfare and war. We are not allowed to close our eyes to harsh realities or to rest our hands from God’s transforming work. As a fellowship, the World Council of Churches stands in solidarity with the people and the churches in the Korean peninsula, and with all who strive for justice and peace.”

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mISSION

Every Wednesday during school terms the sound of music mixed with laughter echoes through the St Chad’s Church and gardens.

There is nothing more inspirational than sharing the beauty of family, community and music so when Tracey Gracey asked Jo Mintern to develop a music program for children and their carers it was a perfect fit.

For an hour beginning at 10 am every Wednesday everyone is welcome to join in the fun, music, play and relaxation time that is Little Chad’s - an outreach program for mums, dads, carers and their children.

“Every term we have a theme that we build the music, story and play curriculum around,” Jo says.

“We join together for a welcome song, introduce the theme and explore topics through song, story and free play time before the adults sit down for some well earned quite time while Julie cares for the children while they play.”

Little Chad’s outreach program came about when St Chad’s Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator Julie Ascher-Ellis realised that mothers who were coming to St Chad’s for pilates would struggle to keep coming with older children.

Once their babies began to crawl it was difficult to for the mums to keep up their badly needed exercise and relaxation time so Julie started a Baby Cuddling service.

CONNECTING FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

By Katrina McLachlan

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That program has been an enormous success with many wonderful connections formed so the development of Little Chad’s for older children has been a natural progression.

St Chad’s parish priest, Tracey Gracey, is an integral part of the Little Chad’s team providing emotional and catering support.

“Jo, Julie and I are working wonderfully together to provide an important outreach service for our community and sharing aspects of our faith,” Tracey says.

“Little Chad’s is an example of Fresh Expressions ministry where we can ’do church’ differently thereby ensuring that we respond to the real needs that exist in the

community.”

The ability of Little Chad’s to provide this community support was strengthened with an Anglicare Parish Community Engagement Grant of $5000 recently.

Since the establishment of the Parish Community Engagement Fund more than $100,000 worth of grants has been distributed and Pastoral Care and Parish Development Manger, Peter Burke, is full of praise for Little Chad’s.

“It’s really good to see St Chad’s connecting with families and children in their local area and providing the opportunity for people to engage with local Anglican Christians as real members of the community,” Peter says.

“Anglicare SA’s services support the very young to the very old and everyone in between and we also recognise that parishes can support us, providing friendship and hospitality.

“The Anglican Church operates as part of the wider community and it offers a sense of spiritual connection and a real sense of belonging.”

Sharing the love of music while supporting the community is truly at the heart of Little Chad’s and Jo Mintern says it has been wonderful to see how the mums and their children have responded to the combination of fun, faith and friendship.

“Our ministry is about connecting and reaching out to families and children and it has been amazing to see mums relaxing and talking freely while sharing morning tea,” Jo says.

“Many mums also previously haven’t had the opportunity to engage in musical activities with their children so it is wonderful to see them interacting in a way that they haven’t before.

“But the most rewarding part is seeing the children exploring their love of music by picking up an instrument and playing it just because it sounds good and it makes them feel great.

“Little Chad’s is all about fun and play but the children are also learning lots, exploring faith and being really creative.”

So if music and laughter sound like your cup of tea visit www.stchads.org.au for more details and get on the Little Chad’s band wagon.

MOZAMBIQUE MENTORS From a brief meeting between two teachers a powerful partnership has been created for education. Former Trinity College teacher Annette Blackett, who is currently undertaking missionary service in Mozambique met with Betania De Silvia to discuss how experienced Australian teachers could help to train and empower fellow teachers in Mozambique.

While many teachers in Mozambique currently have a basic level of training, they work with very limited resources and would benefit from first hand instruction in how to teach their students.

To provide training for these teachers without having to travel to Africa, it was agreed a possible strategy could be to film the teaching of basic concepts in Australia that could then be viewed by teachers in Mozambique.

The filming of some basic mathematical concepts being taught in Reception through to Year 2 will commence at Trinity College next month.

These will be made available for teachers in Mozambique. The African teachers will watch our teachers in action and then formulate discussion questions.

During the January school holidays teachers, Mrs Liz Hinrichsen, Mrs Leonie Logos and Mr Christopher Sanders will gather to talk over Skype and answer questions about the mathematics lessons already sent. This is a very basic training environment covering basic number work and numerical operations whereby the African teachers can see first-hand how to teach in the classroom.

Initially there will be three, two hour sessions conducted and in April 2014 the Trinity teachers will send another teaching concept to Mozambique.

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A BLOOMIN’ GOOD IDEA

By Katrina McLachlan

A lack of public garden space has laid the groundwork for an extreme makeover at St Chad’s Anglican Parish at Fullarton.

The Unley Council was looking for vacant land that could be transformed into garden space and Tracey Gracey was keen to transform the property in front of the church.

With the help of a grant from the Council, St Chad’s began a community engagement process where the public and local residents submitted their ideas about what the garden should contain and look like.

Lecturer in Landscape Design at Urrbrae Tafe SA, Pam Gurner-Hall, was also approached and she jumped at the chance for her students to design the garden.

“The 19 students came to our space to discuss our ethos and find out what is

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important to us,” Tracey says.

“The information from the public consultation was then presented as a brief to them as well.”

Working with a budget of $40,000, the students had 12 weeks from receiving the brief to present the final product.

The final submissions went far beyond Tracey’s expectations.

“The standard was amazing and there were so many different concepts. The amount of work they put in was brilliant,” Tracey says.

“The public was then consulted again, this time to vote on which they thought was the best design.

“It was a very close finish with only three votes separating first, second and third places.”

The winning concept was by Annie Deere, whose design was simple and classic.

“I loved doing this project,” Annie says.

“I’ve used open space as much as possible to create a landscape that both the community and church members can engage in and enjoy.”

Tracey says St Chad’s is now moving to the next phase of the project full of enthusiasm.

“We are continuing the conversation with Unley Council to see what grants are available for stage two,” Tracey says.

“We now have a core group who participates our Spiritual Spa days and our finished garden will enable us to have more quiet spaces for silence and reflection and we will be able to creatively use the space for meditation.

“In the garden design there is a contemporary labyrinth made from poles which will have words such as love, joy, peace, hope which will reflect an ongoing Christian message to the community.

“The garden space will also provide an opportunity for outdoor services and hopefully community afternoons where we can hold music sessions and signage will be placed on our fences inviting people to use the space for timeout and reflection.

“Inspiring quotes placed in the garden or on stepping stones will be another way to connect our faith story with those who use the garden.”

It is hoped that the garden will be complete this time next year.

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MOONLIGHTING THE WAY

By Brenton Edwards

After the lights have dimmed and the big screen flickers to life, finding your seat in a dark, crowded cinema can be a minefield of stumbling and inadvertently sitting on strangers’ laps.

But in the grand old Capri Theatre in Goodwood, there is a savior, a guiding light.

Most people know Michael Cant as the Verger at St John’s Church at the east end of Halifax Street in Adelaide.

He is the assistant to Father Christopher Myers, working alongside him in his vestments, helping to run services every Sunday.

have dimmed, a practice that has all but died out around the world.

While he doesn’t play the organ, he has a passion for them.

But that’s part of the experience of going to the Capri.

He had a pipe organ in his house for years that he had restored himself.

There is an American-style candy bar with house-made choc-top ice-creams.

“The organ was originally built in 1897 for the Mary Magdeline Church, the sister church to St John’s,” he says.

You can choose to sit in either the dress circle or the stalls when you buy your ticket from the old-fashioned ticket booth.

There is no multi-screen multi-plex here.

In fact, the only multi-whatever is the choice of entertainment.

“My main role is to assist the priest with the weddings, the baptisms and the funerals,” Michael says.

Besides movies, the other big attraction is the pipe organ that rises up from under the stage to take centre stage.

“It’s a very rewarding job and I work with a great bunch of people.”

The dazzling white Wurlitzer has seemingly hundreds of coloured tabs surrounding the keys to expand the repertoire of sounds it makes.

But his other job is as an usher at the Capri.

Like the theatre itself, Michael’s job is retro and quaint.

Dressed impeccably in a stiff, white buttonup shirt with maroon vest and large matching bowtie, Michael looks the part.

His tool of trade is a torch that he uses to guide patrons to their seats once the lights

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Please bring your pilots licence if you want to try to play it.

Equally impressive are the pipes, drums, cymbals and piano it controls.

Michael is also a member of the Organ Music Society and puts together the Society’s newsletter.

“After being sold to different churches over the decades, I bought it and moved it to my house with the help of members of the Organ Music Society.”

“I then restored it over the years.”

The organ came to the rescue at St John’s Church when the main pipe organ needed repair the week before a wedding.

“Needless to say the bride was not happy, so I offered my organ as a replacement and it worked perfectly,” Michael says.

Michael has now donated it to St John’s, making it an unusual situation where there are two pipe organs in one church.

It seems a number of aspects of Michael’s life are linked by his passion to truly help people.

NATION 2 NATION Aboriginal Youth Share Their Visions At St David’s Burnside

By Christobel Mattingley to the US, Kim Beazley in New York. While arrangements for a meeting with President Obama have not yet been finalised, they are still hopeful. The students have prepared a presentation for a meeting with young leaders in the American Indian Student Union at the University of Virginia, where they will also see its renowned Australian Aboriginal Art Museum.

The students hope that by undertaking this overseas journey they will learn more about their own Aboriginal identity as well as gain valuable insights into other cultures.

Their aim is to connect with others to build respect for difference and diversity, foster understanding and promote the celebration of other cultures. They want to develop leadership skills and thereby embark on meaningful career development. On their return they plan to use the experiences gained to develop leadership opportunities for other Indigenous students in South Australia and to share what they have learned with their schools and the wider community.

On 27 October two young Aboriginal Year 11 students, Chaise Eade and Tikari Rigney, visited St David’s, Burnside, to share their vision for encouraging Indigenous Australians. Their plan, Nation 2 Nation, a cultural exchange partnership seeking to develop the leadership qualities of young Aboriginal people, is the brainchild of 17 year-old Chaise Eade, a boarder at Prince Alfred College, from Swan Hill, Victoria.

Inspired by the re-election of Barack Obama, the first black President of the USA, Chaise conceived the idea of making contact with him and also with young leaders of the First Nations of America, to exchange histories and experiences. With the help of Careers Counsellors Monica Magann (PAC) and Michelle Stoutjesdijk (Seymour) and the support of well-wishers, Chaise and Tikari, and two Year 12 students, Shae Haseldine from Ceduna, also a boarder at PAC, and Bridget Mason from Renmark, a boarder at Seymour, have planned a trip in December to Washington DC and New York.

In preparation for their visit the students organised a meeting with the US Ambassador to Australia, Geoffrey Bliech, and are looking forward to meeting Australian Ambassador

In his letter to President Obama Chaise wrote: “The thought of meeting with you started with watching the 2012 election in the US and I found that it was really inspiring for you to be elected into a second term. I thought because of your example as an African American that I could help improve my own culture. I could start with my school environment and provide an opportunity of a lifetime to other indigenous students around South Australia. I am part of the Aboriginal Student Team at Prince Alfred College and am working with the school to look at how we can improve indigenous cultural awareness as well as making this a welcoming place for other indigenous students.

“But most of all I would like to help change how indigenous people in Australia are viewed. Typically they are under-represented and struggle to find a place in society where they are celebrated and can be proud. I would like to bring in these changes for the future.”

“I personally believe that change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we seek.”

Tikari Rigney is proud of her rich heritage from the Narunnga, Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna nations and her family. Her grandmother, Alitja Rigney AM, is the first female Aboriginal school principal in Australia. Her father, Professor Lester Irrabinna Rigney, was involved with the establishment of the Yunggorendi First Nations Centre at Flinders University. Tikari said that she wants to be a role model for girls and Aboriginal students.

Her declaration, “We know that there may be challenges on our journey. However we want to assure you that we are committed and strong, and will represent Australian indigenous youth proudly,” brought tears to the eyes of many in the congregation.

For more information go to St David’s website www.stdavidsburnside.net.au or phone 8364 4034 on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday between 9am and 12 noon.

Aboriginal Bishop Presently there is not an Indigenous Bishop in Australia despite great goodwill and dialogue between the Standing Committee and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council (NATSIAC).

Archbishop Driver has been exploring the possibility of the appointment of an Aboriginal Bishop based in Adelaide for some time.

In his Presidential Address Archbishop Driver said “in my view we should make this appointment, it should be seen as a gift to the Province and, if possible, to the wider Church.”

“While there are, without doubt, real needs among the Aboriginal people within our own Diocese, I would hope we could see an appointment as something much more than Adelaide focused.”

A motion put forward at Synod in October to appoint an Aboriginal Assistant Bishop passed unanimously.

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SCHOOLS A group of students at Walford Anglican School for Girls have made the Christmas wishes of some children come true.

THE WHEELS OF CHANGE

By Brenton Edwards

Charlie Parsons riding and Claudia McKay pushing one of the bikes.

Their community and service project “Bikes for Kids” involved more than 60 Year 8 students as part of their Pastoral Care lessons.

Working in teams of four, students engaged in a variety of team building and fund raising activities aimed at developing skills in team work, cooperation, communication, leadership, problem solving, empathy, goal setting and organisation.

After successfully completing one of a number of problem solving and team building challenges, each team was rewarded with a bicycle part such as handlebars, wheels or pedals.

Once all challenges were successfully completed and all bicycle parts collected, students assembled their bikes.

Charlie Parsons and Claudia McKay took part in the project and gained valuable life skills.

“It’s really good to help out and know we are helping fundraise for younger kids at Christmas time,” Charlie says.

Through their efforts students have raised over $4000 and have been able to purchase 18 bikes to be given as surprise gifts to young children identified by the Smith Family in time for Christmas.

Fund raising events have included, a casual clothes day and a special movie screening, a Year 8 parent dinner and a 15km sponsored bike ride along Linear Park.

The bicycles were purchased at a reduced cost through Standish Cycles who also sent a staff member to check over the assembled bikes to ensure they met safety standards.

Middle School Head Greg Atterton says it is good for students to look beyond themselves and help those who need it.

“Students researched the work and spoke to staff at the Smith Family to gain a better understanding of this charity group,” Greg says To decide the recipients, the Smith Family ran an essay and colouring competition inviting over 900 scholarship families to participate.

They were inundated with entries and had a difficult time deciding the winners.

Children who were successful in their entry came from 12 different schools located in the southern suburbs Walford students and staff presented the bikes to very excited children recently, bringing the gift of Christmas to deserving families.

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Jemma Wang and Alexandra Murray

PARISH PARTNERSHIP OPENS EYES AND HEARTS

By The Rev’d Natasha Darke Community Service has been an important part of the Year 9 curriculum at St Peter’s Girls’ School for many years, not only as an opportunity for learning and personal development, but also to further the School’s Christian ethos and service values.

Throughout the School’s 12 week Community Service placement on Tuesday afternoons, students experience a completely new environment and take on a significant degree of independence and responsibility. They return with a growing understanding of the vulnerable people in our society and a greater awareness of their own capacity to make a difference in the world. The real-life experience gained is rewarding, empowering and eyeopening -- and is often a lot of fun as well!

Perhaps even more significant are the connections and relationships that are formed through this program. Students have a rare opportunity to engage with people who are in thoroughly different situations to themselves, whether it’s by comforting a patient with dementia or helping to build the confidence of a four year old.

In the past, students have visited aged care facilities, pre-schools, and an animal sanctuary. This year we have been grateful for the additional opportunity offered

by The Parish of St Mary Magdalene for students to assist running art and cooking classes for the marginalised people of Adelaide. In a supportive and safe environment, the girls not only see the real impact that the Parish has in the city, but also are able to make a meaningful contribution.

We used Lou’s Grandmother’s scone recipe to make afternoon tea for the visitors. After finishing the scones, Phoebe’s Mother, Rev’d Catherine Relf-Pennington, Rector of The Parish of St Mary Magdalene, reassured us that if we were ever not enjoying ourselves or felt uncomfortable, there were many people to assist us.

In her journal entry below, Year 9 student, Alexandra Murray reflects on her first day at St Mary Magdalene’s.

We walked into the large hall and were all a bit shy about mingling with these new people. I tried to talk to most people so I could form a bit of a relationship and they would feel comfortable with me around.

“Today was our first day of being involved in Community Service. I was excited to travel to the city but a bit nervous of what I might experience. I was a little afraid that I may feel uncomfortable especially as we were the first year level to go to the Mary Magdalene Centre, but I soon realised that most of my group was feeling the same.

We arrived to the Magdalene Centre, which appeared, from the first glance, to be in a tiny room. Our bus driver dropped us off and out came a man, Lou, who opened the door for us. As we all seemed a little on edge and nervous, I encouraged the group to come in and led them in when they all didn’t want to go first. I was feeling like I was quite independent. We were briefly met by all the staff and chose to begin with some cooking.

We made paper cranes and attached them to string and added beads to make the room look a little special. It was a good activity because we could work as well as talk to the people.

They all called out goodbye as we walked out the door. The bus ride home was really special because we were able to talk about our encounters and conversations and reassure each other that we were all there to help”.

I think everybody from my group benefitted from today. Although we were initially scared about what to say to people at the Centre, by spending time with them we realised they all have kind hearts and it was easy to connect with them.

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SCHOOLS

THE “RHODES” TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Rhodes scholar, Robin Ashwin (1952) chats with the 2014 recipient, Mahesh Umapathysivam, about the special experience of studying at Oxford and the opportunity to make a difference.

By Karin Dunsford

St Andrew’s old scholar, Mahesh Umapathysivam, was recently announced the Rhodes Scholarship winner for 2014 for his work in diabetes research. Mahesh, who completed his primary school education at St Andrew’s School in 2001, will now undertake a Masters Degree in evidence based healthcare at the University of Oxford. “As a future medical specialist, research and health advocate, I want to improve the lives of others through the delivery of up-to-date, targeted and effective healthcare”, said Mahesh.

In 2012 Mahesh was awarded First Class Honours in Medical Science for his work on the better long-term management of diabetes. He is looking forward to working with the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Other St Andrew’s old scholars, Victoria Cox and Konrad Pilch, are also to be congratulated upon being amongst the

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six finalists for the scholarship. Candidates are selected on the basis of outstanding intellect, character, leadership and commitment to service.

In 2009 Mahesh organised a delegation to rural India to work with a hospital that provided free medical services to the poorest of patients. He has also given service as President of the Adelaide University Surgical Society in 20011-2012 and finds the time to play soccer as ViceCaptain of the Adelaide University Soccer Team. Mahesh acknowledges the role that his school played in his education journey. “A school like St Andrew’s teaches self-discipline and a commitment to doing the right thing. These values influence my work, even now.”

Mahesh enjoyed meeting Robin Ashwin, also an old scholar of St Andrew’s and Rhodes Scholarship winner in 1952. Mr Ashwin enjoyed a very long career in

the Diplomatic Service of Australia with postings in Korea, Bonn, New York, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cairo and Sudan. Mr Ashwin described his role as a Diplomat “to promote his country’s national interests.” He explained, “Governments have the duty to try to perceive what should best be done to preserve the long term interests of our country in economic welfare, social and political justice, harmonious regional and international relations and international economic justice.”

Both Robin Ashwin and Mahesh Umapathysivam were enthusiastically applauded for their achievements by old scholars and teachers at the Old Scholars’ Dinner held in November. Ursula Goggs, also a St Andrew’s old scholar, was also remembered as the second woman to be awarded the Rhodes scholarship in 1981.

GOD WORDS

The Nature of Mission

By The Very Rev’d Frank Nelson, Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral

Luke 10:1-9 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

“The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them” Mission is the initiative of God We do not appoint ourselves. Mission is not a good idea to implement, it is the heart and soul of the divine being, the very heart beat of God is missional, in seeking the flourishing and well-being and salvation of everyone, everywhere.

“the Lord sent them in pairs”

She spent the whole time talking about the Russian basketball team.

Mission is collaborative The seventy are sent in pairs, not individually. They therefore can reflect together, share their experiences, increase their base of wisdom and knowledge and skills. They can support one another, pray for another, and testify together. It also means mission is relational and conversational.

She smelled underwhelming and looked embarrassing.

“Jesus sent them to every city and place” Mission is public and private — political and personal Jesus sent them cities and households, to street parties and dinner parties, to botanical gardens and private gardens, to parliament houses and housing estates. God’s mission is to every square inch of geographical, political, social, personal and spiritual life.

Jesus said to them “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals” Mission is demanding So much so that anything that hinders mission is asked to be put aside – be it programs that don’t work, earthly riches that distract, or personal habits that do more harm than good. There is a simplicity of life and spirit one could say, to engage fully in mission.

“Eat what is set before you, cure the sick” Mission is respectful, rehabilitative, and hospitable In 1997 I did a ministry training placement with a most wonderful pastoral man, Peter.

The first day, we visited a housing estate, and in there a woman with severe schizophrenia.

What’s more, she offered us both cold coffee in polystyrene cups. I drink coffee, but the pastor I was with I knew never drank coffee.

To my great shame, he drank the coffee and I refused to, leaving it on the ground.

That’s what Jesus is talking about. Showing respect, bringing rehabilitation, and offering hospitality.

I saw him about two weeks later and that morning, he had taken her out to the café at the National War Memorial for morning tea.

And he invited to church and she came.

“and say to them, the kingdom of God is near” Mission is sharing the gospel of Jesus Mission is geared towards, culminates in, and at its core is the announcement that in Jesus Christ, we can be reconciled to God, that the Kingdom of God is with us.

Mission is not social work. It is not environmentalism nor social justice, but it absolutely must include all of these. It must address every form of human and social ill.

Mission is at its most deepest level both and – pastoral care and preaching; evangelism and environmentalism; sharing heartache and sharing faith; working alongside and witnessing And wherever Anglicanism has flourished, it has pursued this both and doggedly, decisively, and diligently.

May God be with us as we participate in God’s mission.

Amen.

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LOCAL, NATIONAL Philippines: Church focusing on long term recovery

By ACNS Anglicans are responding generously to help people hit by typhoon Haiyan and are planning long term support to help communities in the Philippines rebuild for the future.

Speaking from the frontline of supporting devastated communities, Floyd Lalwet, provincial secretary of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, said that as part of the emergency response, Anglicans at the national cathedral had been packing food parcels to distribute to displaced people.

You can give to the emergency appeals launched byAnglican Board of Mission, Anglican Overseas Aid,Episcopal Relief and Development, and the Primates World Relief and Development Fund.

Once the emergency phase is over, Floyd Lalwet said that the Church is focusing its attention on longer term rebuilding.

“The Church is one of the few agencies left after the emergency. Lots of agencies are going home already,” he said.

The Church has a long term commitment to the community, and is especially looking at agriculture and other needs, including for soft loans to enable people to resume their livelihoods. The Church is building on its previous experience of responding to the natural disasters to which the Philippines in particularly prone.

In a conference call co-ordinated by the Anglican Alliance’s relief manager Janice Proud, Anglican agencies heard Floyd Lalwet describe the conditions in his country, and the views of the Church, of which he is also the national development officer. A Church team had already visited the stricken communities to assess the needs.

ABM launches Emergency Appeal The Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) is raising funds to provide emergency relief to the many casualties of Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines last month.

The Primate of Australia, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall said, “I commend the Emergency Appeal that the Anglican Board of Mission has launched in the wake of this disaster to your attention and support.”

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across nine regions, leaving an estimated 10,000 people dead and 620,000 displaced.

The Philippines typhoon has hit the poor the hardest. Almost one quarter of the country’s population lives below the poverty line (DFAT). People who were already struggling now have literally nothing – no clean water, no electricity, and almost no food.

“ABM has active Anglican Church partners, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) and the Independent Philippines Church (IFI), who are located in some of the worst affected areas. ABM is working with them to deliver emergency assistance rapidly,” the Archbishop said.

One of ABM’s projects has also been directly affected. ABM works with IFI to provide livelihood support to the Ati Community in Guimaras Island. ABM is still waiting for news as to the full impact of Typhoon Haiyan on these indigenous people but early reports suggest most of the houses have either been destroyed or severely damaged.

The Philippines has experienced one of its worst and most destructive Typhoons on record. 9.5 million people have been affected

Fr Herbert Fadriquela Jnr, Executive Director of Visayas & Mindanao Relief & Development, part of IFI, was in his office when the typhoon hit.

On the conference call were Anglican Overseas Aid and the Anglican Board of Mission in Australia, Episcopal Relief and Development in the USA, and Primates World Relief and Development Fund in Canada.

The Episcopal Church in the Philippines will be developing its proposals for reconstruction, identifying particular target communities for support. ABM is already visiting the Philippines, and ERD will be following shortly.

As soon as the Episcopal Church in the Philippines has developed its proposal, the Anglican Alliance will issue a call for support.

“Suddenly there was an explosion in one of our power outlets in the conference room.

When I saw smoke and sparks of fire in the power outlet, I rushed to the main switch and turned it off. I feel so nervous and cold,” he said.

Donate to the Philippines Emergency Appeal through ABM on 1300 302 663, email info@ abm.asn.au or at www.abmission.org.

Please give generously and also pray for the typhoon victims, the churches and aid workers who are responding in the Philippines as people try to rebuild their lives.

The Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) is the national mission agency of the Anglican Church of Australia. For over 160 years ABM has been assisting people all over the world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, provide health and education services, improve agricultural practices and strengthen the Church.

& INTERNATIONAL NEWS Scripture distribution increases in persecution hotspots

Bible Societies in some of the countries where Christians suffer high levels of persecution are reporting a sharp rise in the number of Scriptures distributed.

There is no doubt that the persecution of Christians is on the rise. Official reports and news articles are describing it as a ‘war on Christians’, with horrifying statistics clearly showing that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.* In some countries the situation for Christians has become so dangerous in recent years that many are fleeing, and there are fears

that the birthplace of Christianity will soon be devoid of Christian believers. But recent figures from Bible Societies around the world indicate that in 2012, Christian Scriptures were in more demand than ever before, including in some of the countries where Christianity is under extreme pressure.

Global Scripture distribution by Bible Societies rose by 6%, from just over 381 million in 2011 to more than 405 million in 2012. Of that 405 million, 32.1 million were full Bibles, matching 2011’s record-breaking year of Bible distribution.

Syria, Iraq, Egypt, India, Laos and Nigeria are some of the countries highlighted as suffering high levels of persecution in the Open Doors World Watch List. In 2012, Scripture distribution by Bible Societies rose significantly in all six of these countries.

Hope for new policy direction

By Katrina McLachlan Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver has welcomed the leadership of the Premier in seeking to minimise the vulnerability of children to a culture of gambling with last month’s announcement of the Government’s Children, Technology and Gambling Policy.

The vision of the Government’s approach, that is part of the broader Building a Stronger South Australia Policy, is for children to be able to experience the educational benefits, fun and social interaction of the online world while keeping safe from harm.

Archbishop Driver has been a strong and consistent voice in the debate around gambling reform.

Girls’ education: Breaking the cycle of conflict and poverty

“South Australia has already led the way in restricting live odds betting on sports events and I understand that this has now been picked up in other states,” Archbishop Driver says.

December in Australia is characterised by the Christmas spirit, but in Afghanistan December will be characterised by uncertainty as Australian and international troops withdraw after 12 years of occupation.

like Act for Peace are empowering a new generation of Afghan women to build a better future for themselves and their country. There are now 2.4 million Afghan girls enrolled in school, compared to just 5000 in 2001.

“The Government’s new measure is significant as it seeks to give parents greater capacity to restrict the access of their children to material that makes them vulnerable to a culture of gambling.

Now is a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s history. Irrelevant of whether Australian military occupation was a success or a failure, our true test as a nation comes now. Our true test is whether our country, our community and we as individuals will provide support for the security, freedom and prosperity of the Afghan people.

While the numbers are encouraging, Afghan girls still face barriers to receiving an education.

Act for Peace is working with its local partner Church World Service to confront injustice on the grassroots level.

“Some of the games presently available, particularly those where children play for internet credits, may have a function of grooming children for later addiction.

Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia, believes the key lies in education and more specifically girls education.

Afghanistan is one of the hardest places in the world to be educated if you are a girl.

Thirty years of chronic instability and conflict, and the almost complete lack of educational opportunities for children under the Taliban, have had a dramatic impact on children’s education and well-being.

But things are changing and organisations

Education is the greatest Christmas present anyone could give.

The Christmas Bowl Appeal has been running for almost 65 years. Each year, the funds raised go towards supporting Act for Peace’s work around the world in the most conflict and disaster-affected communities.

Last year’s appeal was supported by more than 2,000 churches from over 19 denominations across Australia and almost $2.5 million dollars was raised to help those most in need.

To give, please: Free-call 1800 025 101, Visit www.actforpeace.org.au/christmasbowl, pick up a Christmas Bowl envelope at your church OR Write to Locked Bag 199 QVB NSW 1230

“Children are vulnerable to the instant gratification provided by various internet offers and games. The risk is that it can condition young people for gambling addiction and we are already seeing a growth in teenage gambling addiction,” the Archbishop says.

“While these measures are steps in the right direction there is still more to be done with the growing reach of digital technology blurring the boundaries between mass media and personal media.

“Access by our young to gambling media remains alarming and so I am calling upon the State Government to continue monitoring this area and I understand the Premier is committed to doing so.”

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BOOKS The Church’s Liturgy – a Re-assessment Reviewed by S M Smith Lionel Renfrey was born in 1916 in Adelaide, where he attended school, university and theological college; and was ordained in 1940. He spent his entire ministry in the Diocese of Adelaide, in rural and suburban parishes (until 1963), and then as Organising Chaplain of the Bishop’s Home Mission Society, Archdeacon, Dean, and Assistant Bishop.

He died on 11th November 2008.

A Celebration of the Book of Common Prayer, L.E.W. Renfrey (Wakefield Press 2013), 105 pp plus photographs, $20 plus postage $3.50ea, obtainable from Christ Church, 35 Palmer Place, North Adelaide SA 5006.

The “Celebration” is introduced by an Appreciation (by Henry Speagle) and a Memoir (by Andrew Cheesman). Then follow eight sermons and addresses, covering the excellence and necessity of The Book of Common Prayer; its language and theology; and its value in encouraging and deepening the

orthodoxy and devotion of church people now, more than 350 years after it was authorised in 1662.

Bishop Renfrey has put his arguments thoughtfully and cogently. The General Synod, at its meeting in 1962, resolved to explore the possibilities of revising The Book of Common Prayer. More than fifty years have passed since then, during which two new prayer books have been authorised by the Australian Church. It is time to look again at our liturgy, and to ask whether the hopes of the Church have been fulfilled; and whether the Church needs to look again at the strengths of The Book of Common Prayer. In such an exercise the work of Bishop Renfrey in A Celebration of the Book of Common Prayer will make a valuable contribution.

Shoot Me First Reviewed by Len Woodley “Shoot Me First is racy, witty, provocative and moving: up to the minute, cliffhanger stories from Australians living amongst Pakistani and Afghan locals.

Laconic, shrewd, and culturally revealing, this book makes some sense of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, CIA, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and provides unique insights into a location which has absorbed so much of the West’s Military resources.

Shoot Me First is available from Koorong and Word, or any good bookshop, and from Amazon in paperback or e-book.

It is published in Melbourne by Broad Continent . RRP $25 www.shootmefirst.com

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Corruption, intrigue and life-threatening experiences; murders, bashings and kidnappings, brutal treatment of females, wife murder and child exploitation in areas which nurtured Osama bin Laden and the Taliban; and high drama of refugee smuggling: are counterbalanced by the extraordinary experiences of local people, and of life affirming friendships.”

Lock’s effective direction of development work in Afghanistan & Pakistan ( a huge eye-care program, micro-hydroelectric systems, small business loans etc ) follows

notable success in his earlier career as an Australian beef cattle breeder. 24 years of living with the locals until 2008, also means that his concluding pointers for Australia’s Muslim relationships need careful consideration.

His stories are full of ‘upbeat’ and encouraging warm human vignettes, and make one proud to be an Australian. They are highly informative politically, historically, and strategically, in view of Australia’s major military and developmental investment in the region.

The personal experiences and real people stories throw light on regional geopolitics, Islamic lifestyle, cultural misunderstandings, the plight of the poor, and comparative world-views. Informed light is thrown on the question, “What happens when the western troops leave?

Amid smiles, tension and tears, Grant and Janna share their deepening awareness of other cultures and their own spiritual journey.

PEOPLE AND PLACES Diverse Stories One Hope Sharing stories of community, culture and mission in our parish communities Diverse Stories will be held on Saturday 22 February 2014.

Diverse Stories One Hope builds on the previous Communities of Hope gathering held in February 2012 where we heard a wide variety of stories of parish community engagement. This year our focus will be more specifically on three significant stories of culturally based community engagement.

This will include Aboriginal, Asian and African perspectives offering information and reflection on how we are already engaging and opportunities which exist to broaden and deepen our engagement with these communities.

Rev Samuel Chan and Rev Coria Chan will speak on what is like leading a mandarin congregation in the Anglican Church and how the blending cultures and the Christian life together reflects the hope of the kingdom of God set in the diversity of Adelaide.

So lookout for more details or contact Jill Rivers on jrivers@anglicare-sa.org.au or 8305 9294 for more information.

Carols Around the World Kapelle Singers will present their annual “Carols Around the World” concert in St. Peter’s Cathedral on Friday, 13th December 2013 at 8.30pm.

Beautiful carols old and new from many different countries will be sung beginning with a candlelit procession. Readings will be given by the Very Rev. Frank Nelson – Dean of St. Peter’s Cathedral and Mrs. Christine Nelson. A harp and Cathedral organ will accompany the choir.

Bookings through Bass or choir members.

Helping make a difference in the South Pacific Islands

By The Reverend Barbara A Paull Erica and her friend Andy, Rev’d Barbara and her husband Andrew had their much anticipated visit to the Sigatoka DistrictSchool in Fiji. The school was only a short distance from their accommodation and they arrived mid morning to a welcoming party of smiling children.

Mr. Gounder the Head Teacher (Principal) greeted them with his lovely wife who had prepared them some cool drinks. They met the office staff. Some children sang to them before setting off to visit the class rooms. They were swamped by the children with warm hugs, hand holding and lots of smiles and laughter.

The children gave a tour of the school which consisted of around 12 classes. Each class they visited sang songs to them and showed samples of their work which they were currently doing such as times tables or literacy work. All class rooms have a blackboard and chalk. The desks were well-warn and chairs were rickety. Class sizes are larger in Sigatoka District School consisting around 35 children and the teachers cover all areas of learning from Numeracy, Literacy to PE and Music.

The School has just received 20 computers as a donation from Australia and they have a specialist teacher to run the classes. So far only the year 7 & 8 classes can use them.

They meet the manager/Administrator of the school and he is a local village chief (Mr. Noki) and they shared with him a short film of Paringa Park Primary School.

At the end of the day they distributed the school packs to the students & staff whom were so grateful and appreciative – they couldn’t believe that total strangers would be so generous to help people they have never met before.

The children once again sang as Ron, one of the teachers explained that it was the only way they can express their thanks.

It was truly a bumbling and emotional experience to give these packs out on Paringa Park Primary School and St Philip’s Church communities behalf.

What a wonderful and successful missional journey to Fiji and ongoing link has been established between the Church, Paringa Park Primary school and the school in Sigatoka.

Mr. Gounder invited them to attend his church ‘the Rose of Sharon’, on the Sunday and Pastor Jone (who is a chief in his own right and owns an island), invited the Reverend Barbara to preach at his church on that Sunday. The sermon was translated into Indian and Fijian while Rev’d Barbara preached it in English. That was an experience all of its own!

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Welcome to Australia

READ THE FASCINATING STORY OF

ST. CYPRIAN’S CHURCH

There is nothing more Australian than sport so with so many new arrivals struggling to connect with the Australian community it seemed the perfect game to play.

St Elizabeth’s Parish at Oaklands Park is having a Welcome to Australia event on December 8 where food, fun and sport will be combined to bring the local community together.

After meeting with the Aquatic Centre to explore ways in which the Parish might engage with the community, Jeff Oake says they jointly came up with the concept of ‘Welcome to Australia’.

90 Pages with over 50 black & white and colour illustrations

Cost : $28 (inc. postage) cheque or money order only to St. Cyprian’s Church, c/o 13 Jenny Avenue, DERNANCOURT SA 5075

“We then invited local sporting clubs to become involved and Rotary to do the BBQ,” Jeff says.

Australian Church Women SA Unit Inc.

“In this project we have also evolved a process by which the parish might be a facilitator for similar such projects and we are currently working with Marion Council to become part of their Community Capacity Building Programme which would provide funding for this and future projects.”

Each year the individual denominations making up ACW are invited to submit the name of a recipient for the Community Concern events.

So, are you new to Australia?

Are you interested in trying a new sport? Come along to our Welcome to Australia event where you, your family and friends can all join in and try Australian sports like Cricket, Aussie Rules, Basketball and Swimming. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun whilst enjoying a great Australian BBQ.

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For 2013 we gave $5,500 to CARA for their Kids Club (respite for children living with disability and their families).

At each event we ask for a host Church in that area for the next year, and the list is drawn up.

This year our recipient will be the Sam Roberts Family Fund supporting families through the Paediatric Palliative Care Service Women’s & Children’s Hospital.

The 2014 programme will be launched on May 9th at 10am at Pilgrim Church Hall, 12 Flinders Street Adelaide.

Christmas at St Peter’s Cathedral

KING WILLIAM ROAD NORTH ADELAIDE *H[OLKYHS 6MĂ„JL

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CHRISTMAS EVE

4:00 pm Children’s Crib Service 7:00 pm Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols 11:30 pm Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY 8:00 am Eucharist BCP 10:00 am Choral Eucharist

Little Chad’s PLEASE JOIN US Every Wednesday [During school term]

10am – 11am St Chad’s Anglican Church Parish Centre 14 Cheltenham Street Fullarton 5063

Please join Little Chad’s every Wednesday morning with your little ones! t 5IFSF XJMM CF NVTJD QMBZ BOE TUPSZ UJNF t .PSOJOH UFB QSPWJEFE GPS BMM t 0OMZ QFS TFTTJPO We hope to see you there!

For more information please ring 8271 4044 email graceyfam@iprimus.com.au visit www.stchads.org.au

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