NorthPoint - November, 2012

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Pathfinders positive about Bandon Grove Camporee

The North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference Pathfinder Camporee was held from 21 to 24 September at Bandon Grove near Dungog. The Camporee was attended by 520 Pathfinders from 17 clubs, with young people coming to the event from as far north as Murwillumbah and as far south as the Central Coast.

The weekend’s program, which commenced on the Friday evening and concluded at lunchtime on the Monday, had the theme of Elijah’s life story. Dr John Hammond was the guest speaker. Pastor Jeff Parker, Director of Youth Ministries for the NNSW Conference, says, “John took us through the full story of Elijah, and shared lots of stories and challenges from his life. He took five sermons — Friday night, two Sabbath talks, Sunday worship and the final talk on Monday. People really enjoyed the weekend and were blessed by the messages John shared.”

Activities based on the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17 and 18 were run by the Youth Ministries Department, Glenn Hughes from Alstonville’s Pathfinder club, and Ros and Darryl Camps, who are Pathfinder District Directors for the Northern Rivers region. The activities were run on the Sabbath afternoon and Sunday. The Pathfinders joined together to take part in the Sabbath activities, but split into groups for the Sunday activities.

Ali and Leighton Heise led the praise and worship for the weekend and Pastor Parker says, “They did a really good job.”

Rick Hergenhan, Assistant Director of Youth Ministries; Susan Manson, Youth Ministries Secretary; and Pastor Parker expressed their thanks to Brian and Norma Pearce for allowing them to use their private property for the Camporee. The Youth Ministries Department and Camporee attendees were grateful for the fine weather on the weekend. “The weather was A1!” says Rick. “Just beautiful. And the location was excellent. The kids left saying they wished it could go longer, which is a good sign.”

Pastor Parker adds, “It’s an absolute rarity for a Pathfinder event to have full sun for the entire time. We’ve had rain for nearly every event for the past few years. Everyone had fun and there’s been a huge amount of positive feedback.”

“The feedback we’ve had indicates there was a good balance of structure and spontaneity,” says Susan.

Pastor Justin Lawman, President of the NNSW Conference, says, “Pathfinders develops leaders, equipping young people with a variety of skills and highlighting the benefits of being part of a bigger movement. As members of the Adventist Church, we are all part of something bigger.”

— Adele Nash

Page 2: From the President: Our reliance on public evangelism

Page 3: ADRA NNSW launches new resource at Wallsend

Page 5: Family Camp marks campground’s 20th anniversary

Page 10: Olympic gold medallist visits Macquarie College

OUR CONFERENCE From the President: Our reliance on public evangelism

Publicly proclaiming God’s message to the world can be traced back all the way to Noah before the flood (Genesis 6 to 9).

The ancient Hebrew prophets turned it into an art form and put the fear of God into their people through “crying aloud and sparing not” (Isaiah 58:1). The church of the New Testament was launched through public preaching. In fact, the number one method of evangelism in the book of Acts is public proclamation of the Gospel. If you go through the history of the Christian church, you will discover that the public preaching of the Gospel was a key component of the great revival movements.

It is certainly at the centre of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s history, and I have personally witnessed how the Holy Spirit uses this simple and powerful confrontational method of reaching others. I was born to do it, and I hope that we can raise up a whole new generation of preachers to take God’s final message to a dying world.

So what’s the problem?

The problem is what we’re not doing — making disciples! Yes, that’s what Jesus asked us to do (Matthew 28:19). After a new believer accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour, what path do they follow to growth and maturity so that they can become a leader of others in the same process?

We have got the path that leads to baptism very well established. I do not think that this is a problem if followed properly. But what happens after the person is baptised? What path do we take them on? At the moment for most of our churches, that path is nonexistent, or at best hit-and-miss.

The leadership of the North New South Wales Conference is determined — by the grace of God and with the help of our pastoral team — to establish a very clear path that a new believer can follow in the process of discipleship. This will vary from church to church in many aspects, but the underlying principles of maturity, growth and leadership are established in Scripture. I am very excited to see how God is leading in this process and the amazing potential of our church when we truly obey Jesus’ commands.

— Pastor Justin Lawman

Around The Traps, a weekly e-newsletter from the NNSW Conference President Pastor Justin Lawman, is now available. To subscribe, email northpoint@ adventist.org.au with the words “E-newsletter subscription” in the subject line.

Chief Financial Officer’s report: September 2012

Financial results for six months ending June 2012 at a glance are as follows:

The numbers show that we are slightly behind on our tithe forecast for the first six months, so we will see if things pick up in the second half of the year. The favourable result in expenditure is courtesy of a major under-spend of evangelism funds by local churches, so perhaps this will correct somewhat later in the year as churches claim the evangelism funds that have been allocated to them.

Tithe

We would like to acknowledge and praise God for the faithfulness of our members all over our conference who pay tithe to their local church on a regular basis. This enables mission and the employment of Gospel workers.

In particular, three of the larger congregations in our conference have increased their tithe-giving by more than $40,000 in the first six months of 2012, compared to the same period last year:

We can be very encouraged by the tithe numbers from these churches.

Apart from excellent results in the area of tithe, be aware that Gosford Church has been proclaiming the Word of God with power over the past few years through a number of well-executed evangelistic series. This has resulted in a renewed hunger for biblical teaching, and a desire on the part of many to commit their lives to Jesus and follow His call to service.

Make no mistake friends — the Holy Spirit is present amongst us, revival has begun and we are part of God’s final movement.

— Russell Halliday

OUR CONFERENCE

ADRA NNSW launches new resource at Wallsend

Wallsend Adventist Church recently enjoyed an Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) emphasis day, during which the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference launched new resources from ADRA NNSW. A new ADRA promotional trailer has been built and filled with a range of exhibits that can be used in local churches to highlight the ministry of ADRA Australia.

Nathan Hawkins, Director of ADRA Services for NNSW, says, “The promotional materials are focused in three areas: a portable large-screen television; four interactive activity stations; and three touch-screen multimedia kiosks. The large-screen television can be used in a variety of settings for viewing ADRA-related videos.”

At Wallsend Church, participants could watch an overview video, which gave a run-down of ADRA’s work in emergency response, water, hygiene, food security, community building and income generation.

“The interactive activity stations provided a hands-on experience,” says Nathan. “Some of the strategies and ideas ADRA implements in their projects were on display. For example, Wallsend Church members were able to see and use a ‘tippy tap,’ which is a simple tool used to introduce hand-washing and improve hygiene in developing communities.”

Church members who took part in the activities also got to lift and carry 20 litres of water, the equivalent of which is carried by women and children over an average of three kilometres every day in developing nations.

“These interactive stations provided a very unique insight into ADRA’s work,” says Nathan. Three touch-screen multimedia kiosks were used to provide deep and personal stories shared by two individuals whose lives were improved through the assistance of ADRA. Wallsend members were moved by the personal heartaches and thanks shared by Ley Ley, a young girl living in a Thai/Burmese refugee camp, and Mary, a young girl with albinism living in Tanzania.

Leighton Darby, ADRA leader at Wallsend Church, says, “We often hear large-scale statistics about how many people ADRA is helping, but to touch the tools used in ADRA projects and hear very personal stories from individuals whose lives are transformed is amazing. Every church member should have this experience.”

“We’re delighted with how people have responded to these new resources,” says Nathan. “Over the next year, we’ll make them available to as many churches and schools as we can.” Enquiries or bookings can be directed to Nathan Hawkins via (02) 4951 8088 or nathanhawkins@ adventist.org.au.

— NorthPoint/Nathan Hawkins

BPAY functionality now offered on eGiving site

The new eGiving website — https://egiving.org.au — was launched earlier this year, and we featured news about it in the July issue of NorthPoint

BPAY functionality has now been added to the options on the eGiving website. Russell Halliday, CFO of the North New South Wales Conference, says, “The new eGiving site has the option for BPAY for members who wish to make payments to the local church for tithe, offerings and other purposes, all through the convenience of their own bank’s internet site.” He adds, “BPAY functionality can be accessed at https://egiving.org.au. The eGiving

site has the capacity to provide unique BPAY numbers to members, who can then use the number to make future payments to the church via their Australian bank’s site. “The payments are made from the individual’s bank or credit card account, and are directed to the specific local church’s cash management facility, which is determined by the unique information encoded in the BPAY reference number.”

Russell says the functionality extends to allowing members to create a “basket” of offerings and tithe, which then allows them to determine the split of future payments made using their number.

BPAY is a more cost-effective option for transactions that exceed $175 when compared with the fees associated with direct credit card payments made via the eGiving site.

— Adele Nash

OUR CONFERENCE

Western Youth Regional Rally signals new beginning

From Friday evening, 12 October to lunchtime on Sunday, 14 October, the North New South Wales (NNSW) Youth Ministries Department held a Western Youth Regional Rally (WYRR) at Lake Keepit. Even though the numbers were small, it was an exciting beginning as it has been more than a decade since the last camp for youth in the West of the NNSW Conference.

Pastor Jeff Parker, Director of Youth Ministries for the NNSW Conference, says, “It was actually a youth initiative. Naomi Revelly from Coonabarabran rang up about eight months ago to request it. She found the place, contacted youth and so on. We would love to see the WYRR grow. We don’t want this to be a one-off event.”

Pastor Parker, Rick Hergenhan (Assistant Director of Youth Ministries) and Susan Manson (Youth Ministries Secretary) were the “guest” speakers for the weekend, which was attended by 18 youth. Staff brought their families, which resulted in a total of 35 people in attendance. They came to the rally from towns including Moree, Wee Waa, Tamworth and Narromine (from the South New South Wales Conference).

Rick took the presentation on the Friday night, speaking about partnering with Jesus and sharing your burdens with Him (Matthew 11:28). His presentation included an object lesson featuring a yoke, demonstrating how shared loads are lighter.

On the Sabbath, Pastor Parker spoke on the subject of forgiveness, following on from Rick’s presentation. In the afternoon, he gave a presentation about sex, sexuality and teen dating. “It was confronting in some ways, but we need to deal with these issues,” says Pastor Parker. “One of the girls gave her testimony and it was very powerful — there was absolute silence in the room. It was way brave of her to share her story. God put it on her heart to do that.”

On Sunday, Susan gave the morning presentation. “I talked about taking what was learned on the weekend and applying it to their everyday life,” she says. “It was a call to step out of their comfort zone for Jesus, rather than living a life of complacency.”

The weekend also featured activity times, including a Sabbath afternoon walk to the dam wall of the lake and waterskiing on the Sunday afternoon.

Pastor Parker says, “There’s a great need for stuff to happen for youth in the west — you could sense their excitement at being together. They’re really genuine, down-toearth kids; very accepting of each other.”

“There were great connections and deep-and-meaningfuls happening,” says Susan. “Steve Martin, the western region youth coordinator, was there from Armidale and is following up with WYRR attendees. They’re aiming to have quarterly gatherings.”

— Adele Nash

OUR CONFERENCE

Family Camp marks campground’s 20th anniversary

Family Camp 2012 saw around 40 families and almost 150 people enjoy a simple, family-focused week at Stuarts Point. The speaker for the week was writer and family therapist Karen Holford. Karen comes from Scotland, and inspired families with ideas for Sabbath, worship, connection and ways to grow spiritually together. Families were encouraged to be intentional in turning their hears to each other and to Jesus through various activities during the week.

Pastor Daron Pratt, Director of Children’s’ and Family Ministries for the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference, says, “The Turning Hearts Family Camp was a time of relaxation, restoration and reconnection for the families from across the conference who attended. The week was planned intentionally so that families could enjoy being together.”

Pastor Paul Geelan, General Secretary of the NNSW Conference, says, “The emphasis of the week was that all meetings and activities were to be done as a family — that is, there were no separate divisions. The daily program included a free morning, followed by a planned activity in the afternoon and an evening meeting. Afternoon activities included games, a water slide and water sports with the conference’s ski boat.”

Pastor Geelan notes that Karen was given a “very challenging brief” — to run a program that engaged, educated and touched the hearts of people ranging in age from five to 75. “She did a brilliant job,” says Pastor Geelan. “She presented quality information, but also gave myriad practical applications to reinforce the points. Families were sent to tables where fresh ideas on prayer, memorising Scripture, family worship and character development were set up, and these could be shared and enjoyed as a family.”

On the Sabbath at Family Camp, Pastor Pratt and Julie Weslake, Director of Children’s Ministries for the South Pacific Division, encouraged families to go on a discipleship adventure together, and families sealed their decision by planting a tomato plant to signify their homes being the “soil” and the church the “watering can” in growing spiritually-strong children. During the church service, Karen encouraged families to accept God’s invitation to party in heaven as she presented an inter-generational church service.

“It was great to see families sharing, growing and connecting as they explored various learning stations that Karen had set up during the week,” says Pastor Pratt. “Many attendees appreciated the inter-generational meetings and said it was a pleasant change to not have the family divided and rushing all over the campground to various meetings, as would normally happen at Big Camp. They enjoyed not being over-scheduled and the time to just be together. To see children and adults, youth and teens, grandmas and grandpas sharing together was a real highlight.”

The camp also marked the 20th anniversary of the Stuarts Point Convention Centre. On 9 October, 1992, Pastor Rex Moe officially opened the grounds during the first camp meeting held there. Twenty years later — almost to the day — those at Family Camp shared a birthday cake to mark the occasion.

Pastor Geelan shared a brief overview of the history of the site, and the current caretakers Neil and Karen Radford shared a video they made highlighting the functions of the ground and projects they’re working on.

Pastor Geelan says, “Stuarts Point has been such an important part of the ministry of the NNSW Conference over the past 20 years. Heaven will only reveal the numbers of people that made their decision for Christ, met their life partner, were inspired for ministry, listened to compelling and challenging speakers, and strengthened their spiritual journey on these grounds dedicated to the service of God.”

The NNSW Conference is dedicated to continuing to invest in the development of the Stuarts Point Convention Centre and wants it to continue to be a focal point for a lot of good things.

— NorthPoint/Pastor Paul Geelan/Pastor Daron Pratt

OUR CHURCHES

Tumbulgum hosts “Mostly Raw”cooking class

A “Mostly Raw” food class was held at the Tumbulgum Adventist Church hall on Sunday afternoon, 9 September. There were 73 people in attendance, many of whom were from the community.

Guest speaker Jenifer Skues, Health Psychologist and Tumbulgum Church member, presented the topic of “Moods and Foods.”

Don Sforcina, minister of Tumbulgum Church, talked about the importance of finding a balance between cooked and raw foods. Aileen Sforcina, lifestyle educator and author of two recipe books, demonstrated nine recipes, seven of which were raw. All recipes were plant-based and free from sugar, yeast and gluten.

The people were excited about the food and information presented. Don and Aileen, with the support of church members, have hosted several programs from Tumbulgum Church hall during the year, resulting in bridges that are being built between the church and the local community. It’s encouraging to see friendships forming and familiar faces coming to one program after another.

— Fran Campbell

Erina Church “Fun & Fellowship” group enjoys day trip

On Thursday, 23 August, the Erina Adventist Church’s “Fun & Fellowship” group enjoyed a day trip to the city of Sydney. Pastor Russell Stanley guided the group through the streets of Sydney, noting and visiting a number of historical Christian church sites.

The above memorial is the site of the first church that was built in Australia. It was called the Wattle and Daub Church, but was later burnt down by angry convicts. St Phillips Church was then built as a replacement.

The group also visited St James Church, the oldest church still standing in Sydney. At both churches, the group was privileged to be given a guided tour by the respective vergers, who took them to areas of the churches not normally visited by the public.

— Owen and Christine Twist

Derby Day a grand adventure

Gosford Adventurer Club’s second Pinewood Derby drew an enthusiastic crowd of junior and senior racers. Held on Sunday, August 19, the derby attracted 50 entries from the Gosford Adventurer Club, Central Coast Pathfinder and Avondale Memorial Pathfinder Clubs. Adults were also among the entrants.

To enter the derby, children must purchase a pine block kit. They then create a car, which meets strict weight and size specifications. The cars are raced in heats on a wooden track until a winner for each age category is found, and then category winners race to determine the fastest car on the day.

The prize for the fastest car this year went to one of the youngest Adventurer boys, Tazman Parry. All cars received an award in areas such as design, craftsmanship or creativity.

Originating with the Scout movement, the Pinewood Derby is designed to encourage parents and children to work closely together to create a car. A series of pre-race workshops were also held to provide woodworking tools and expertise.

Before the race, a derby devotional was given by Rick Hergenhan, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry for the North New South Wales Conference. Part of the philosophy of the Pinewood Derby is to share the Gospel with participants who may not have heard it before. The event, which was held at the Central Coast Adventist School, was also used as fundraising occasion, with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Central Coast Pathfinders and a youth mission team all raising money for projects.

Hosting the Pinewood Derby has long been a dream of Adventurer Leader Sharon Bolst. Gosford Church supported Sharon by funding the purchase of a track and related equipment. The inaugural derby was held in 2011, with many of last year’s participants entering new cars this year.

— Jenny Tinworth

OUR CHURCHES

Nearly 3000 baptised after outreach in Papua New Guinea

was broadcast on local radio and he and says, “It was a humbling experience to share the love of Christ with PAU staff and students, and also the whole community of Port Moresby.”

A number of past and present North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference pastors were blessed to take part in an outreach program run by the 26-member-strong Carter Report team in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The outreach resulted in the baptisms of 2850 people, which were witnessed by around 30,000 onlookers.

The two-week program was run in Port Moresby, and Don Sforcina, one of the pastors from NNSW, says, “The full-sized athletics stadium was packed to overflowing each night, with attendances peaking at more than 130,000 people. Even more requested baptism at the final program. This was truly Pentecost happening in Papua New Guinea.”

Etuati (Eti) Feau also took part in the program and says, “It was a tremendous learning experience — an experience of a lifetime! I have learned so much by observing Pastor John Carter’s ability to engage with the audience, the simplicity of his message and ability to change from being a preacher to a teacher. I was blessed to be part of a team so passionate about God.”

Eti says one thing that stood out was the encouragement from Pastor Carter, which was shared with the team every night before the meetings. Pastor Carter told them, “God is expecting your best as He never fails to give His best!”

One Sabbath while in PNG, both pastors were taken out to the Morata One Church by the local minister. Don was asked to take the Sabbath School lesson with 10 minutes to prepare — and then found his class had more than 500 members. Eti took an interesting children’s story and the members enjoyed the sermon. The church has around 2000 members and is one of the “smaller” churches in the area. Eti also had the opportunity to preach at Pacific Adventist University (PAU). The sermon

The large team of pastors had a variety of jobs during the outreach programs, including building and maintaining structures, tech support, manning spotlights, creating graphics, controlling lighting and organising visuals. But Don says their most important work was meeting with people and nurturing them spiritually. One such opportunity presented itself when he was checking the audio-visual settings and met a local man — Karsy — who had been sent to Port Moresby to pick up some equipment. Don gave him a book after the meeting. “Karsy came to me and we exchanged details,” he says. “I wrote in the More Than A Carpenter book, but before giving him the book, I told him about the gift of salvation. I asked if he’d accept the book and salvation. We prayed and I told him Jesus loved him, and that we were now brothers in Christ. Tears were running down his face as he departed.”

— Adele Nash/Don Sforcina/Etuati Feau

Adventist artist launches his work internationally

Phil McKay, a member of the Port Macquarie Adventist Church, has added a number of international ministries to his list of clients. If you’ve been in to the North New South Wales Conference Office this year, you would have seen a print of one of his paintings — “Reunion” — hanging in the foyer. Phil says, “I have limited edition art prints available on my website and have recently produced a range of A4 size prints, which are available through Adventist Book Centre stores.”

A self-taught artist, Phil has no formal training, but believes that God gives us all certain gifts. “It’s up to us what we do with them,” he says. “I have always loved drawing and painting, and have spent my life doing it in some form. For the past five years, it has been a real blessing and privilege to be painting God’s Word through my art.”

His artworks originally were created the old-fashioned way with brushes, canvas and paints, but now Phil paints digitally. “I paint on a 27” interactive screen with a digital stylus pen. It is the same principle as traditional painting, only quicker and there is no mess or waiting for paints to dry,” he says.

A lot of Phil’s work has been commissioned by It Is Written Oceania for their new “Secrets of Prophecy” Bible study guide. Phil also does work for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministry, as well as various conferences and ministries throughout the South Pacific Division. Phil says, “Currently I am working on some images for Amazing Facts, and some other international ministries”

— Adele Nash

If anyone is interested in commissions or licensing Phil’s artwork, he can be contacted via phil@philmckay.com. All of Phil’s artwork can be viewed at www.philmckay.com.

OUR BAPTISMS

Studies result in baptism

Tracey Higgins was beaming when she entered the font at Lismore Church on 22 September to be baptised by Pastor Keith Jackson.

When Lismore Church member Ashley Smith knocked on her door about a year ago, this was the furthest thing from her mind. However, following Bible studies with Ashley, attendance at the Prophetic Code meetings and discipling classes, her life changed dramatically. Lismore Adventist Church members joyfully welcomed her into fellowship and will continue to encourage her in her new life.

An average of 15 people (some pictured below), ranging from young to old, have been meeting faithfully under the capable leadership of Ashley. Each week that the workshops are held, they look at “Making Christianity Real,” focusing on the importance of the Gospel commission and who it involves, as well as effective ways to communicate the Gospel and save souls by pointing them to Jesus. The workshop attendees have also done some door-knocking, with the majority of those going out to witness aged between eight and 13.

Ashley says,” I have been blessed in presenting these workshops, and I know many will be blessed in the community as we reach out and become the hands of Jesus.”

— Valerie Dunstan

CCCC celebrates baptism

Grant Collins sang the lyrics “daystar shine down on me, let your love shine through me in the night” on 22 September when he was baptised, officially declaring his decision to follow Jesus to those who had gathered to witness the event. Among the throng of supporters stood his direct family, his “boys” and his new church family. Each of these supporters have seen and experienced the many variations of Grant’s growth and Christian journey.

Growing up in an Adventist family, church and Scripture were not new things for Grant, even though at times they held no great meaning for him. It was only after prayer and realising that God had greater things in store that Grant was led to Central Coast Community Church (CCCC).

Football is a sport loved by Grant and his family. Last year, Grant made the choice to make a stand for God, take a pay cut and not play on Saturdays. He and brother Charley joined the Northern Lakes Warriors, a club now sponsored by CCCC. His unique form of witnessing is a declaration to everyone at the ground that this church has a presence at the footy. A football signed by all those present at the baptism was given to Grant as a reminder of the special day.

— CCCC Connections

Two Avondale School students baptised at Jenny Dixon Beach

deposit and guarantee of their status as one of God’s very loved daughters and sons. God’s Kingdom was strengthened and all of Heaven rejoiced. God added a little bit of magic by pouring sunshine onto Olivia, Riley and the people gathered to witness their baptisms.”

He adds, “Avondale School gives the opportunity for all students, staff and school families to know and experience the full and abundant life that God offers each of us, and to step into a radically different kingdom-life where love and service to others really matter.”

— Dr Mel Lemke

Sabbath afternoon, 13 October saw two Avondale School students give the best testimony a person can give: the public dedication and full commitment of their life to Jesus.

Jenny Dixon Beach — near Norah Head Lighthouse — saw family and friends come together to celebrate this most special of days. John Venegas, Olivia Mallon’s Year 5 teacher who has been a spiritual mentor for Olivia at school, and Dr Mel Lemke, Avondale School Chaplain, baptised her. Two of the school’s church team — Pastor Neil Thompson and student pastor Dave Toogood — baptised Riley Lawrence.

Dr Lemke says, “Each received the anointing of the Holy Spirit at their baptism, the

Macksville celebrates baptism of teacher

On Sabbath, 16 June, Michelle Hawke, the Kindergarten to Year 2 teacher at Macksville Adventist School (MAS), was baptised, surrounded by family and friends at Shelly Beach, Nambucca Heads.

Although the water may have been near freezing, the hearts of everyone present were just the opposite. Michelle has been on a spiritual journey since her Year 6 teacher — Mr Head from Avondale Primary School — first introduced her to Jesus. From then on, it was a matter of layering experiences of Christ into her life via Macquarie College and Avondale College, where Michelle graduated with a BA in Education (Early Childhood).

Following the sad passing of her much-loved nanna, Michelle was left pondering what God wanted from her life. With many opportunities to be baptised, Michelle had always passed the moments up as doubt entered her mind. It was not until God made His path for her known through David McNeill, Principal of MAS, when he rang to have a “friendly chat” about a maternity position that she knew the time was right.

Moving to Macksville brought with it a new independence for Michelle, made obvious through her growth as a teacher and the offer to stay on at MAS for an extra year.

The locals couldn’t be happier! Studying the Bible with Steve Magaitis and MAS Chaplain Kerry Howard gave Michelle more courage and determination than ever to finally take up God’s call for baptism — so much so that it had to be done at the beach in winter!

Michelle says, “To express the love and unique character of the school and church of Macksville is difficult. A culture exists that causes a reaction where it’s hard to wipe the smile off your face after each day.

“My walk with Christ continues to strengthen day by day. I am thankful to all those who have shared my spiritual walk — Mr Head in Year 6, Mrs Roenfeldt (Bible teacher Macquarie College), Tyson Norris (close friend), my Macksville family, and my Mum, Dad, brother Travis and sister Fiona. I continue to live my life with my eyes focused on the Lord as God. He has a life set for me — one that I can only imagine. “

Kerry says, “At MAS, we thank God that He brought Michelle into our lives and those of the students, and for her to now to have God as well is the best thing of all!”

— Kerry Howard

OUR SCHOOLS

Concert explores colourful world of music

Avondale School’s Primary students recently performed a diverse collection of cultural songs at the Primary Variety Concert. Held in the Multi Purpose Centre, the concert transported listeners around the world with traditional sounds and dance.

The Year 1 class waved a German flag along with their German item, and Year 2 performed the Maori Haka and other dances along with their New Zealand performance.

Year 3 focused on Austrian music, performing “The Blue Danube” and the well-known “Edelweiss” with strings and xylophones. Avondale School’s Year 4 students strummed ukuleles, singing and dancing to Hawaiian songs, as well as traditional North American Indian music.

African rhythms were beaten out on drums accompanied by percussion by the Year 5 students. And Year 6 combined voice, flute, recorder and percussion to re-create Asian sounds. The act was brought alive by stick and umbrella dances.

The final item in the concert was “I Still Call Australia Home” and the students did an outstanding job. The passionate music teachers contributed many hours of preparation and their efforts were greatly appreciated by the wowed audience.

— Susan Rogers

Regional Indigenous students experience Avondale School

Avondale School recently gave 10 Indigenous students from Karalundi Aborigianl Education Centre a taste of the mainstream Avondale School experience. Coming from the isolated inner region of Western Australia, the students found it to be an eye-opening day.

Each student was assisted by an Avondale School student in the same year level. The Avondale students’ job was to help the newcomers navigate the large school grounds, guide them in the classroom, and accompany them during the recess and lunch breaks.

Only two of the 10 students that visited had previously experienced mainstream schooling, and all thoroughly enjoyed the day. Although quiet, they were intrigued with the equipment, teaching and tight schedule of high school.

The visit was coordinated by the Karalundi Education Centre’s Deputy Principal. The students’ trip included a visit to Sydney and the Canberra snow fields. Avondale School was chosen to host their school visit. They also visited Avondale College. It was a great opportunity for Avondale School to share its resources with the community.

— Susan Rogers

OUR SCHOOLS

UK educator visits KAS as part of Kempsey–Knox–Ravenswood partnership

Leading international educator Phil Beadle visited Kempsey Adventist School (KAS) in August as part of the school’s partnership with Sydney’s Knox Grammar School and Ravenswood School for Girls.

Phil is a former UK Teacher of the Year, star of the UK Channel 4 documentary “The Unteachables,” a best-selling author, education consultant and a regular Guardian columnist.

Phil, who was working as a “teacher in residence” at Knox Grammar for four weeks from mid-July, spent a day at KAS as part of the school’s professional learning program. He was able to share his knowledge with newly-qualified teachers at KAS, together with other secondary teaching staff at the school.

“Phil was able to make a significant contribution to the professional learning of our teachers through presenting a series of special workshops on ways to improve literacy and motivate reluctant learners,” said Rohan Deanshaw, KAS Principal.

Working under the National Partnerships education program, where schools from different backgrounds work together to raise student achievement, staff from Knox and Ravenswood have regularly visited KAS throughout 2012 to provide new teachers with individual support to receive their professional accreditation with the NSW Institute of Teachers.

“Kempsey Adventist School has a number of newly-qualified teachers,” says the Knox Professional Learning and Accreditation Coordinator, Glenn McLachlan. “The partnership program provides ‘virtual mentors’ from Knox and Ravenswood to help support the teachers’ ongoing professional learning.”

The KAS teachers receive face-to-face and Skype mentoring sessions from the Knox and Ravenswood teachers. The partnership has been supported by a grant from the Federal Government and the Association of Independent Schools.

“KAS appreciates the positive contribution that the professional development provided by staff from Knox and Ravenswood have made to the professional learning program of our school’s newly-qualified teachers,” said Rohan.

— Leanne Deanshaw

Olympic gold medallist visits Macquarie College

On Monday, 3 September, Australian Olympic sailing gold medallist Iain Jensen visited Macquarie College Preschool. Sam Jensen is one of the children who attends the Preschool and was very excited when his mum was able to organise for her cousin to come and talk to the kids.

The children got right into the Olympic spirit by having their own games on the oval, and making a special effort to watch all of Iain’s races and cheer him on.

The children asked lots of questions about going to the Olympics, training and the medal he won. Unfortunately, he didn’t bring his medal with him because he had left it at his parents’ house for safe-keeping. He described it as, “Weighing about half a kilogram and only made up of about 5 per cent real gold.”

At short notice, Iain was happy to go over to the Junior School as well and talk to the Year 5 and 6 students in the library. He encouraged the students to never give up on their dreams, to keep working hard and not let anything get in their way. He was even willing to sign a few autographs afterwards.

Emma Jones (6L) competes at a state and national level in sailing, and said that Iain is her hero. She was very excited to have her photo taken with him in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Macquarie College thanks Iain for taking the time to come and talk with their students, and Debra Jensen for arranging this special occasion.

— Alysha Lock

NNSW Adventists speak up on global poverty

Four Adventists from the North New South Wales Conference have spoken up on behalf of those in poverty around the world as part of the Micah Challenge’s Voices for Justice conference held in Canberra from 15 to 18 September. More than 280 Christians from across Australia — representing 20 Christian aid and development agencies, including the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia — spent two days in training, worshipping and networking, before spending a further two days at Australia’s Parliament House meeting with parliamentarians.

“Many of the causes of poverty are systemic, part of the way society works, and mere charity and even development are not always sufficient to overcome that,” says Dr Harwood Lockton, advocacy officer for ADRA Australia and a member of the Micah Challenge campaign steering group. “Political systems need to be nudged to do the right thing and this can be done through advocacy.”

In what has become an annual advocacy event, the focus of this year’s Voice for Justice conference was the progress and work yet to be done in meeting the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals by 2015. “A lot of people aren’t aware that significant progress has been made in the past 20 years towards lifting people out of poverty,” says Micah Challenge’s national coordinator, John Beckett. “The international goal to halve the proportion of people without access to clean drinking water has already been reached ahead of schedule, and this is just one example of the difference we can make when people all over the world work together for a common cause.”

Wallsend Adventist Church member, justice advocate, speaker and artist Jo Darby appreciated the opportunity to network with other Christians who are passionate about justice issues. “For so long, I have spoken about justice to various groups within our church to raise awareness of these issues and God’s heart for the poor but this was a chance to actually speak up as Proverbs 31:8 and 9 urges — to ‘speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get justice,’” she says.

Jo says that her participation in the Voices for Justice conference has changed her perceptions of how progress can be made to combat poverty around the world. “I have realised how easy it is to approach people like my local elected representatives on important issues,” she reflects. “This experience has challenged me to engage more with these issues beyond our church, as well as reignited my passion for prioritising justice as a fundamental part of our Adventist identity.”

The small “lobby groups” formed among the Voices for Justice participants met with members of the House of Representatives and senators from all political parties, and many received positive responses, with dozens of parliamentarians adding their faces to a jigsaw puzzle committing them to continue to work toward fully achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and improving and increasing Australia’s international aid commitments.

“Many of the politicians welcome the Micah advocates and have frequently indicated that this lobbying on behalf of others is effective in shaping Australia’s national response to global poverty,” says Dr Lockton. “And, as Christians, that something we should be passionate about.”

— Nathan Brown

More information on this event and the related campaigns are available from www.micahchallenge.org.au.

Trust Services: Wills when you get married for the first time

When a single person gets married, their signature on the marriage certificate revokes all former Wills, such that unless a Will is made in contemplation of marriage (or signed on the day of marriage), if one or both of them die on their honeymoon, they would die intestate (as if they didn’t have a will).

One of the things on the long list of items to do in preparation for marriage is to see someone about making a Will that reflects your proposed change of status. Your new Will will need to reflect your marital status.

It’s always best for couples to do Wills together. There are situations where this is not the case, but we’ll talk about them in a later issue of NorthPoint

The Will process is about recognising the moral and legal obligation the partner has toward their spouse and future children, and gaining an understanding of how marriage impacts upon an individual’s assets — it’s basically estate planning for those situations. Discussions as to the transfer of assets from solely-owned into joint names at least need to take place, even if it is not acted upon (depending upon the circumstances).

The process also provides the opportunity to make provision for any future children of the couple. “It’s a good idea to factor this in to the Will process, so that if and when children come along, you don’t have to go and make another Will straight away,” says Pastor Rodney Woods, Director of Trust Services for the North New South Wales Conference. “If you’re planning to get married, you need to come and see me for estate planning.”

— Adele Nash

To book an appointment with Trust Services, please call (02) 4951 8088 or email Pastor Woods’s secretary Lyn Price at lynprice@adventist. org.au. Visit http://nnsw.adventist.org.au/trust-services for more information about Trust Services.

2013–2015 Big Camp contracts

Camp Set Up | Camp Store | Camp Catering

Are you looking for a way to raise funds for your school, church, Pathfinder club or mission trip? There are three contracts available for tender for Big Camp 2013 to 2015 that could be just what you are looking for!

• Camp Set Up – This contract involves setting up and pulling down all the canvas used for Big Camp. This includes around 250 family tents and 12 big canvas tents. This contract could suit a Pathfinder group, or perhaps two or three smaller Pathfinder groups joining together to achieve this contract.

• Catering – This contract involves providing vegetarian cafeteria-style lunches and dinners, and also a take away service for the duration of camp.

• Camp Store – This contract involves the planning and running of the “general store” for the duration of camp. The Camp Store would supply general grocery and confectionery items, including precooked baker-supplied items (eg: bread, rolls, cakes, pies and pasties).

Visit http://nnsw.adventist.org.au/employment to find out more. Big Camp 2013 will run for nine days from 19 to 27 April.

If you are interested and would like to receive the full contract for one or more of these tender specifications, contact Debbie on (02) 4944 3220.