NorthPoint - February, 2013

Churches connect with community through CityFest

Over the weekend of 17 and 18 November 2012, CityFest was held at the Newcastle foreshore. Luis Palau, an internationally-recognised Christian speaker and author, was the headline speaker for the event, which involved churches and church organisations from around Newcastle and the Hunter, including the Adventist Church.

The two-day festival featured extreme sports demonstrations, activities for the children, and music (including the Salem International Choir, Hillsong, Darlene Zschech, Antiskeptic and The Lads). The festival was free and provided the opportunity to reach out to the community with the life-changing message of the Gospel.

Luis spoke both nights at the event and his preaching was featured on Rhema FM. He told the crowds, “We need the supernatural power of Jesus Christ the Son of God. That’s why we’re having this festival, having fun and having a good time, but also getting serious . . . You must open your heart to Christ.”

Lindsey Sands was a member of the team working at CityFest and she says around 600 families who weren’t connected to Christian churches experienced the event. She adds, “What a privilege it was to be a part of such a fantastic weekend. Many were given the opportunity to serve on both days in a variety of ways — from being ‘festival advisers’ talking with someone who made the decision to follow Christ, to helping out in the KidZone, or the tasks of clean up and parking duties.”

KidZone was a key element of the festival, and ran from 12.00pm to 4.00pm each day, and was followed by a program from The Lads on the main stage from 4.00pm to 5.00pm. Around 3300 children registered for KidZone over the two days. The children were each given a “passport” to get stamped at various areas of the festival where they had the opportunity to learn more about Jesus.

At 1.00pm and 3.00pm each afternoon, extreme sports by JC Epidemic exhibited some amazing skateboarding BMX and FMX action at another section of the foreshore. Lindsey says, “There is no doubt that JC Epidemic loves their extreme sport and are good at it, but what I loved is that while they share that they love their sport, they love Jesus more.”

In the evenings, there were opportunities for people to hear the call God puts on their lives and invite Jesus into their hearts. The festival advisors would spend time sharing with people who responded, praying with them and handing them a Gospel of Mark to take home and read. The evenings were wrapped up with concerts featuring a variety of Christian performers and groups.

— NorthPoint/Lindsey Sands

Photos courtesy of Justin Watson and Lindsey Sands

Page 2: From the President: Prayers for our conference

Page 3: 2013 pastoral appointments

Page 4: ADRA responds to Coonabarabran fires

Page 10: Insights into healthy, empowering leadership

Scarlet Honeyeater

OUR CONFERENCE

From the President: Prayers for our conference

Happy New Year to our NorthPoint readers. I hope you and your families are all having a good year so far — and that you’re still keeping your New Year’s resolutions!

This year, my resolution is to take responsibility for our conference continuing to be led by God. To this end, I am asking you to pray with me every Wednesday to specifically ask God to grow and lead our conference — our leadership team, pastors, churches, schools and aged care facilities.

Every Wednesday, I want to ask God alone to do whatever He deems best for us. What an exciting year we are going to have if we let God rule our lives and the church in the ways He knows are best!

This is why my word for 2013 is “Alignment.”

It has become my conviction that our conference needs it — and so do our churches, schools and retirement villages. But most of all, I need it. Alignment is important for any successful organisation, especially one focused on a specific task — and we have a very clear and specific task!

Alignment means that from top to bottom, all the different levels of the organisation work together for the common goal. For years, I have been frustrated with people adopting the Book of Judges attitude of everyone doing “what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).

So much can be gained by working as one big team. We are each gifted differently. We have differing roles and responsibilities, but we must all work together under the direction of God alone. Alignment always starts with God. He is the centre of the universe and keeps everything in its order. Without God, things have no meaning, have no purpose, have no alignment. Unless we are personally aligned with God every day, His purpose for the church will not be realised.

I have decided to take personal responsibility for my alignment with the God of heaven. I want to seek Him in prayer and Bible study this year with renewed passion and with the enjoyment of knowing Him who loves me unconditionally.

Please join me as I pray on Wednesdays this year that God will grow our conference as He grows us as individuals.

— 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.

2013 Offering Booklet and Calendar available

The North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference’s 2013 Offering Booklet and Calendar are now available. Copies of the booklet and calendar were posted to churches and pastors at the end of 2012, and both are now available to download from the NNSW Conference website — nnsw.adventist.org.au.

The glossy 64-page booklet contains the offering calendar and a short write-up about each week’s offering. It also features information about eGiving, tithing, Trust Services and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency.

Russell Halliday, Chief Financial Officer of the NNSW Conference, says, “The offering booklet is a great resource for church leaders within the conference. They now have information on the offerings scheduled for each Sabbath at their fingertips. The information is designed so that it can easily be used in church bulletins and promotions during the offering announcement time in the worship service.”

Russell also notes that 2013 is the first time there has been an increase in the number of local church offerings to a guaranteed minimum of two offerings each month, with some months having three local church offerings.

Russell says of the local church offerings, “They will be of great assistance to churches that are finding it difficult to meet their financial commitments without scheduling extra envelope offerings and the like.

“As an organisation, however, we have not lost our great appreciation and support for the needs of the church outside our own community and country. The financial unity of the worldwide church to which we belong has been — and continues to be — a fantastic underlying strength to our church financial model.”

He adds, “While the focus of this information booklet is on offerings, let us always remember to promote our tithe responsibilities each Sabbath when we announce the collection, and thank our members for returning their tithes and offerings faithfully to God.”

— Adele Nash (with Russell Halliday)

If you require another copy of the 2013 Offering Booklet or Calendar, please download one from the NNSW website (nnsw.adventist.org.au) or email adelenash@adventist.org.au to request a copy from the remaining stock.

2013 pastoral appointments

Alstonville — Tim Kingston

ARISE — Ashley Smith

Armidale — Benjamin Galindo

Avondale Memorial — Vadim Butov/Helen Butova/Danny Milenkov

Bellbrook — Horace Evans/Jimmy Dunn

Ballina — Tim Kingston

Blue Haven Church Plant — Danny Milenkov

Boolaroo — David Stojcic

Bourke — Keith Stockwell

Bray Park — Peter Howard/Rick Sharp

Broadmeadow Samoan — Talai Mohr

Byron Bay — Cranville Tooley

Camden Haven — Uriah St Juste

Casino — Tim Merritt

Central Coast Community / SPD Church Plant — Wayne Krause

Cessnock — Talai Mohr

Charlestown — Grego Pillay

Coffs Harbour — Bob Manners/Abel Iogelescu

Coffs Coast — Bob Manners/Abel Iogelescu

College — Eddie Hypolite/Mark Craig

Coonabarabran — Afiipu Tuaoi

Dora Creek — Peter Cousins

Dorrigo — TBA — volunteer

Dungog — Mark Venz

Erina — Cristian Copaceanu

Forster/Tuncurry — David Kosmeier

Gateway —Neil Thompson/Karen Muirhead (one day per week)

Glen Innes — Adam Cinzio

Gloucester — Graham Stewart

Gosford — David Price

Grafton — Paul Richardson

Gunnedah — Afiipu Tuaoi

Guyra — Benjamin Galindo

Hamilton — David Stojcic

Hillview — Fred Chileshe

Inverell — Adam Cinzio

Kanwal — Raymond Dabson

Kempsey — Lorenzo Berry

Kempsey South — Horace Evans/Jimmy Dunn

Kingscliff — Marcus Mundall/Yong Shin Chee

Korean Group — Dae Sik An

*This list is accurate as of the date of going to press (21/01/13).

OUR CONFERENCE

Kurri Kurri — Ken Love

Kyogle — Tim Merritt

Lakeside — Peter Watts (also conference evangelist)

Lightning Ridge — Beulah James

Lismore — Keith Jackson

Macksville — Steven Magaitis

Maclean — Paul Richardson

Maitland — Mark Venz

Moree — Eteuati Feau

Mullumbimby — Don Sforcina

Murwillumbah — Peter Howard/Rick Sharp

Muswellbrook — Miroslav Stilinovic

My House (Newcastle Church Plant) — Mike Robinson

Nambucca Heads — Steven Magaitis

Narrabri — Eteuati Feau

Nelson Bay — Ken Love

Newcastle Polish — Jan Jankiewicz

Newcastle Multicultural — Esava Koro

Newcastle Spanish — Roberto Velasquez

Ocean Shores — TBA

Ourimbah — Raymond Dabson

Port Macquarie — Joseph Maticic

Quirindi — Obed Soire

Raymond Terrace — Esava Koro

Singleton — Miroslav Stilinovic

Stockton — Jan Jankiewicz

Swansea — Fred Chileshe

Tamworth — Obed Soire

Taree — David Kosmeier

Tenterfield — John Lang

Telegraph Point — Joseph Maticic

The Entrance — Cristian Copaceanu

The Haven — Bob Bolst

Toronto — Michael Chapman

Tumbulgum — TBA

Wallsend — John Denne/Brock Goodall

Wauchope — Uriah St Juste

Wingham — Graham Stewart

Woodenbong — TBA

Woy Woy — Eddie Mackie

Wyee — Peter Cousins

OUR CONFERENCE

Two tell adventure tales: Book honours pioneering humanitarians

Adventists caught up in Coonabarabran blaze

Adventists were among those affected by last month’s bushfire outside of Coonabarabran — and were also amongst those who responded to assist those in danger and in need.

A must-read manuscript has moved an Avondale lecturer to help publish the stories of two of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s pioneering humanitarian workers. Avondale College lecturer Brad Watson first read what is now When God Calls, Expect Adventure during the worship service at his local Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wyee.

Another member of the church, Lester Hawkes, had written over 40 years about his and wife Freda’s time as medical missionaries in the then Papua and New Guinea and on Pitcairn Island. “I spent the whole sermon reading his stories,” says Brad, a senior lecturer in international poverty and development studies in the School of Humanities and Creative Arts. “I thought afterwards, I better help Lester get this published.”

Help he did — Brad and Lester as co-writers launched the book, which is published by Signs Publishing Company, in the foyer of Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church, 19 September 2012. Brad describes Lester and Freda’s ministry as blending service and medical work with evangelism. “They were our church’s first humanitarian workers,” he says, “and they remind us missionary work has always been successful where you have an empowering message, but where you also provide a lifechanging service.”

In 1945, Lester felt the “call” to go as a medical missionary to Papua and to New Guinea. The following year, Lester and Freda travelled to Papua to begin what would be 30 years of service. “We were there from the primitive [time] through to the educated [time],” says Lester, “and hardly anyone had done that.”

Lester says the book is intended to “honour God” and encourage readers to see “that God should be seen more readily and spoken of more easily.” Freda hopes the book will inspire others to “want to get out and do the same sort of work.”

Dr Barry Oliver, President of the South Pacific Division and a former missionary, wrote the foreword. He is “in awe” of the early missionaries and describes them as having “incredible commitment.” “By the time my family and I got to Papua New Guinea, the headquarters were already established, the schools were established [and] the clinics were established, but they got there and there was nothing.”

When God Calls, Expect Adventure is available from Adventist Book Centres.

— Kaitlyn Betts

The blaze, which destroyed at least 33 homes and spread across a front more than 100 kilometres wide, forced more than 100 people from their rural properties.

“Evacuation in these situations causes huge amounts of stress,” says Kevin Munro, National Emergency Management Coordinator for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia. “People are forced to leave their homes, animals and memories to the unknown realities such a fire brings.”

ADRA’s volunteers — as part of the organisation’s formal agreement with the NSW Government to provide emergency accommodation during times of disaster — were activated in the region and assisted 32 in finding safe, temporary lodging.

In a sad twist of fate an ADRA volunteer, who serves in the ADRA Op Shop in Coonabarabran, was one of those who lost their homes in the blaze.

Pastor Justin Lawman, President of the North New South Wales Conference, says, “Our hearts go out to the hard-working families in Coonabarabran. They’re real fair-dinkum Aussies, and these days it’s hard to make a living from farming. We praise God that no-one lost their life in the fires, but to lose houses, sheds and livestock is devastating in its own way. This should cause all of us as Australians who have known so little trouble to value to the things that really matter in life.”

He adds, “We have a really strong church at Coonabarabran and it’s a great town. Our hearts go out to the community there as it recovers from these fires.”

ADRA has also contacted by the Warumbungle Shire Council to receive funding to provide crisis assistance through their established op shop.

“Having a presence on the ground and being a trusted entity in the community allows us to respond in this way,” says Kevin. “The council recognises that our volunteers serve an important role in the community and understand the vital service the Adventist church is providing through ADRA.”

Many local Adventists also serve as volunteer members of the Rural Fire Service, putting their own lives at risk to protect and save others in their community.

ADRA holds formal agreements with state governments in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia to provide emergency accommodation during times of disaster.

For more information about this, and ADRA Australia’s other programs both at home and overseas visit www.adra.org.au. You can also stay up today at www.facebook.com/ ADRAAustralia, or connecting with them on Twitter @ADRAAustralia.

— Braden Blyde

Photo courtesy of Lagani Gairo

Maclean’s unique evangelism work

OUR CHURCHES

Southlakes Refuge celebrates another year of hands-on ministry

How do you attract children to your church? Run an Adventurer or Pathfinder Club — or both —and advertise in the local paper. Not only do the children come, but friendships are made with the parents too. Maclean’s Pathfinder/Adventurer year concluded with an investiture on 8 December 2012 where 11 Pathfinders and five Adventurers were invested by Northern District Directors Ros and Daryll Camps. You might be wondering what’s so special about this club. Some are a lot bigger than the Maclean Adventist Church’s club! Perhaps it’s the fact that only one of the 16 children is from an Adventist family. Some of these children go to church regularly in Grafton and Maclean. The parents are full of praise for what the club has done for their children. One single mum said, “Pathfinders has helped my daughter with her organisational and leadership skills that will prepare her for High School next year.” Another said, “Adventurers has helped my child to come out of his own little world and given him a new direction after his father left.”

Pathfinders/Adventurers are practical ministries where the children are not only given life skills to build their resilience to cope in this modern world, but also grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus. Several of the children come from single-parent homes and have had many issues to face in their young lives. Pathfinders is the place where they find stability and nurture, as well as fun and challenge. Not only are the children not from Adventist homes, but many of the club staff are parents of the children who believe in the aims and goals of the club, and give their time and talent to assist.

Attending programs — such as the northern Expedition at Timbarra River and the Camporee at Dungog in 2012 — really helped these children appreciate nature and its Creator. It was good for them to have the experience of larger events with other young people. Six of the Pathfinders attended Summer Camp and the churches pray that will be a further stepping stone in their spiritual walk.

— Ros Camps/Jane Richardson

Southlakes Refuge, an affiliated ministry within the North New South Wales Conference, held its Annual General Meeting at the end of 2012. Director Vivien Killick reported that 108 women and children had received special protective care during the past 12 months. Sadly, insufficient room caused 395 applicants to be turned away.

Dr Owen Hughes, chairman of the refuge’s Management Committee for the past eight years, gave a special tribute to Vivien, volunteer carers and the many volunteers working at the Toukley, Belmont and Cessnock Op Shops.

Southlakes Refuge relies on strong support from volunteers sourced from Seventhday Adventist churches within the Lake Macquarie area, as well as members of the local community. The Op Shops, together with donations, provide a strong financial funding base from which to operate.

The refuge offers an initial six-week period of protective care. In addition, a newlybuilt residence provides transitional accommodation for two families for up to six months.

Marie (not her real name), a recent resident, chose to write a letter of appreciation. This is just part of her letter:

“Hi, my name is Marie and I am 42 years of age. The day I came here from hospital, I met each of the carers and the manager. The amount of respect, care and love that I got from them is unbelievable. . . . I am now back in contact with my Mum and Dad again, and everything is working out great . . . I have changed for the best. I am now growing into an adult. I even pray to God now of a night time to see if God will take some of my pain away.”

— Bob Dale

Vivien welcomes enquiries from women who would like to become carers. Please telephone her on 0414 290 521.

Clean laundry ministry at ADRA South Tweed shop

Many of us love to browse through the “couture” at our local ADRA Shop looking for a bargain or a unique fashion item, but how often do we pause to ponder the many hours of work involved in getting all those clothes on the racks?

When you visit ADRA South Tweed, it quickly becomes evident that each of the thousands of garments has been handled with great love and care. Phyll Behrens from Murwillumbah SDA Church is one of the faces behind the mountains of clothing that are donated each year. She sorts, sprays, soaks, washes, dries and even irons many of the items — a quest that’s driven by a desire to help others and also a passion for clean laundry!

“I just like to see the washing nice and clean

and smelling fresh,” Phyll says. “I also really enjoy meeting the people. You know, often we have really needy people coming in seeking clothing.”

Phyll cleans all the clothes at home on her Samsung front-loader. She’s done thousands of loads over the past six years — often four per day — and amazingly the machine has never missed a beat. Once, after a large donation of linen and clothing, she ran it 48 times over a three-week period!

You could easily mistake the sunroom at the rear of Phyll’s Bray Park home for a commercial laundry. A long bench is covered with large soaking tubs, while a wire suspended from the ceiling hosts a line of garments on hangers, drying in the sunshine. When it comes to detergents, Phyll’s somewhat of an expert — she’s tried almost every one on the market. So what is her recommendation?

“I’ve actually gone back to a more expensive brand — BioZet Attack,” she says. “Apparently Choice found it to be the best one too. I only buy it when it’s on special. At the moment I’ve got 18 boxes waiting to be used!”

— Summer Lockley

Vivien Killick, Director Southlakes Refuge, thanking Owen Hughes for his eightyears of leadership chairing the refuge’s Management Committee

OUR CHURCHES

Swansea’s refuge Christmas tree

In December 2012, the tiny Swansea Adventist Church congregation rallied to a special cause for the first time — the Southlakes Refuge. In a few short weeks, 122 beautifully-wrapped gifts for the children and mothers were placed under the church’s Christmas tree. These were delivered to the refuge a week prior to Christmas.

The Swansea congregation said they will do it again this year and have challenged other churches to follow their example.

— Kay Cowan

Andy paints Lindy for Archy

Cornerstone Centre’s Christmas celebration

Each Wednesday, the Kanwal Cornerstone Centre provides a meal and some other assistance to needy people in the Kanwal Church area. It operates at the Kanwal Church hall and is run by members with much-appreciated help from community volunteers. After less than five months of operation, patrons and all volunteers were invited to a traditional Christmas lunch celebration. It was attended by 98 patrons and 32 volunteers, and many expressed their appreciation for the service provided. There was particular appreciation for the Christmas lunch and program. Christmas carols were sung between courses, led by Alister, the very capable MC. Small gifts were later given to the children. Many of the volunteers that help to provide and serve meals each week are people from the local community. “Our association with these lovely people has been mutually rewarding,” says Deborah Shiel, the Centre Director. “We have been very blessed to know them and six have attended Sabbath worship services. We look forward to continuing our program again this year. Please pray for all those who we contact through this service.”

— Barbara Sutton

A portrait an Avondale College lecturer is entering into the Archibald Prize reveals more about the subject of one of Australia’s most publicised legal cases. Andy Collis wanted to paint an “honest” portrait of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton because “it struck me that many people made up their minds about her based on how she appeared in photographs and on the TV news.”

Lindy was wrongly convicted in 1982 of the murder of her baby daughter Azaria, who was taken by a dingo at the then-Ayers Rock in 1980.

The portrait of Lindy forms part of Andy’s doctoral thesis, The human touch: What constitutes the artist–sitter relationship in contemporary painting?, in which he argues that to achieve authenticity artists must spend time with their subjects. “If you know the person you’re painting, you bring all your knowledge of that person — memories, affection, whatever — to the session.”

The length of the session is important, too, says Andy, because there are “thousands of looks and, importantly, just as many thoughts going into the painting.” Andy’s dean, Associate Professor Daniel Reynaud, describes his four-hour sitting as “comfortable” because he had an existing professional relationship with Andy, a senior lecturer in visual arts in the School of Humanities and Creative Arts, and because the two share interests.

This connection, says Andy, gives painted portraits more “intimacy” than photographed portraits, which are the product of a mechanical device that responds to light and places everything into a flat image. Despite how the photographer feels about their subject, the camera is “totally indiscriminate and emotionless about what it takes,” says Andy.

— Anne Little

Special Christmas Sabbath for Tenterfield

On the Sabbath before Christmas — 22 December, 2012 — Tenterfield Adventist Church decided to open its doors to church neighbours and friends, welcoming them to join the church members to celebrate Christmas.

It turned out to be a lovely day, both weather-wise and spiritually. Many Christmas carols were sung, and there were items by local church women, as well as musical items provided by visiting friends from Brisbane and Stanthorpe.

During the morning service, a couple who have been attending the church for a few months decided to renew their wedding vows after 30 years of marriage. Pastor John Lang is pictured above with Les and Joyce Willard following the renewal of the Willard’s vows.

— Cherryl Stidolph

Photo courtesy of Aaron Bellette

OUR CHURCHES

Pathfinders experience poverty to raise funds for ADRA

On the second weekend in November 2012, 35 Pathfinders and 11 leaders from Wallsend Adventist Church raised $3000 for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) by holding a poverty camp. The Friday night was spent bunking over at the church and Saturday night saw them stay at the Karuah Nature Reserve.

The Pathfinders arrived on the Friday night at the church, where the leaders ran some activities and watched videos about the stories of real people experiencing poverty.

“The kids bunked down for the night — however, they were woken up at 4.30am by water pistolarmed bandits,” says Teresa Clark, one of the event’s organisers. “They were marched into a bus, allocated into ‘families’ and taken to a bush location where they walked five kilometres to the campsite.”

Breakfast was plain leftover bread. After worship, a 17-year-old boy told his story about coming to Australia from a war-torn area in Africa. One of the morning activities was to make paper bags to earn money to “buy” cooking supplies and some rice for lunch.

The afternoon activity was a scavenger hunt where the kids had to gather supplies for dinner and shelters. “The night was spent in the makeshift shelters,” says Teresa. “After a meagre breakfast and pack-up, the reward party was held back at the church.”

Teresa says the aim of the camp was, “To raise money for ADRA as well as highlighting aspects of poverty in a ‘fun’ way for the Pathfinders. We normally have a few service events on the calendar, but had a few conflicts with dates, so decided to dedicate a whole camp to service.”

The idea came from the Wallsend Pathfinder leaders and was fleshed out with some good resources from the ADRA website.

Feedback following the camp has shown that the poverty experience has had an impact on the Pathfinders who took part. Teresa says, “The kids were very receptive and had fun, but also have a new appreciation for their food, tap water and homes. The parents were very pleased that the kids could experience what it is to live in poverty and learn from it.”

— NorthPoint/Teresa Clark

Toronto Church raises money for their “adopted” Indian orphanage

Five years ago, Raju and Josephine Jacob, who live in Northern India, took in a little orphan boy named Israel. They had two children of their own, but their hearts were big enough for more. They soon found more orphans who needed a home and started an orphanage they have called the Bethel Home Orphanage.

Children whose parents have been killed by wild animals, or who have been rescued from slavery or whose parents can no longer afford to keep them are sent there. Josephine herself is an orphan and knows what it’s like, and she and her husband have opened their hearts to these homeless children.

Today there are 140 children in the orphanage and the rooms were overflowing. At one stage, the children were sleeping two-to-a-bed.

Toronto Adventist Church has “adopted” the orphanage and over the past two years, have been fundraising to build new classrooms for the children. So far, enough money has been donated to build eight new classrooms, the school has been repainted, sewing machines and other equipment have been purchased, and the children have been supplied with new bunks, hats and much more.

Raju and Josephine have been overwhelmed with the love and support given to them and their precious children.

Fundraising activities have included Asian nights, market stalls, car washes and, just recently, four brave guys had their heads shaved (pictured, right).

Thanks have been given to Jennifer Sampson, Glenda and Graham Weslake, and Lesley and Cliff Coverdale for their energy and enthusiasm in organising these events,

and for keeping Toronto Church’s “eyes” focused on the needs of others.

— Michelle Ward

OUR BAPTISMS

First baptisms for Toronto Campus of Avondale School

Lake Macquarie baptism for Lakeside Church teen

Bailey Hepworth is an Avondale School student with a purpose — to follow Jesus Christ.

On Sabbath afternoon, 8 December 2012, this young man, his parents, family, and church and school friends witnessed a baptism of water and the Holy Spirit.

On Wednesday, 28 November 2012, home, school and church came together to celebrate the baptism of two brothers. Connor and Declan Villis made the most important choice of their lives: to follow Jesus and be baptised.

History was made — this was the first baptism at the Toronto campus during school time.

Declan and Connor were surrounded by their schoolmates, family and friends as they stepped into the baptismal font after chapel. Michelle (the boy’s mum) and their grandma, aunties and cousins were a part of the happy gathering.

Student pastor Matt Pearce and Pastor Clive Nash from Lakeside Adventist Church studied with the boys over the past two years. They were formally welcomed as members of the Lakeside Church family the following Sabbath.

— Monica Nash/Dr Mel Lemke

Youth baptised at Swansea Church

Following two years of studies conducted by former Swansea minister Pastor Adrian Raethel and George Kei, five of the delightful young folk from Swansea Adventist Church were baptised by Pastor Raethel (now the General Secretary of the Greater Sydney Conference) on 15 December, 2012.

Also assisting in the service was Fred Chilese, Swansea’s current pastor. The young people who were baptised are Tevita Falepapalangi Tangulu, Taniela Fatuimoana Tangulu and Soisi’ana Fa’otusia Tangulu (David, Daniel and Anna).

These young adults are the three older children of Efoti and Tauvaevae Tangulu. Also baptised were ‘Ailine Punipuao Veatupu Kei, and her sister Estelle Leafa–‘iTulangi Ann Kei. These are the two older children of Siaosi and Mo’uifoi’ou (George and Ou Kei).

All of these young people are talented musicians — many playing in the Advent Brass Band. Of course, all can sing and harmonise with their beautiful voices.

Swansea is indeed a very fortunate church to have these two special families blessing the congregation with their music, talents and vibrant presence. The members of Swansea Church pray that God always leads and blesses them in their chosen pathways of life.

— Kay Cowan

In fact, with such a windy afternoon, one was reminded of the mighty rushing wind of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Bailey is the son of Shaun and Amanda Hepworth, who contribute so much to the work of literature ministry in New South Wales. Bailey studied with Pastors Neil Thompson from Gateway Church and Avondale School, and Clive Nash, the minister of Bailey’s home church at Lakeside.

The baptism was held in Lake Macquarie at Gwandalan. The waves were whipped up by the strong winds, but did not deter the many who gathered to share in the moment. Some of Bailey’s favourite sacred songs added to the spiritual emphasis of the occasion.

Steve Bennett and Dylan Dumbleton led the singing. Yvonne Hick prepared a beautiful memories book for everyone to sign and leave a message of encouragement for Bailey.

On the following Sabbath, Bailey was welcomed into fellowship at Lakeside Church in Bonnells Bay.

— Monica Nash

Back row, from left to right: Charmony Diaz, Toronto School principal; Pastor Clive Nash; Matt Pearce; Pastor Aaron Jeffries, Toronto School Chaplain; Dr. David Faull, Avondale School Principal; and Dr Mel Lemke, Avondale School Chaplain with Declan Villis and Connor Villis.

New video explores “special character” of Adventist Education

There is no denying Adventist Education is very special and distinctive. But sometimes we find it difficult to explain in clear terms what is different about it when compared with “the school down the road.”

The North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference’s Education Board of Directors took this challenge seriously during 2012 by commissioning the production of a video portraying “The Special Character of Adventist Education.”

The video was facilitated by Kyle and Jared Vincent, whose other high-quality promotional work can be viewed on the NNSW Conference website (nnsw.adventist.org.au). This new project was coordinated and directed by Dr Don Roy, a part-time Senior Lecturer at Avondale College, and filmed by Kent Lock at Kempsey Adventist School.

The 21-minute video was completed in time for Dr Roy to share it at the North American Division Teacher Education Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee, where it was well received. It was also used as resource material in Semester 2 for a number of students completing their teaching degree at Avondale.

The video can now be viewed online in two locations — on the CIRCLE website sponsored by the General Conference at https://vimeo.com/54698693, or on the NNSW Conference website at nnsw.adventist.org.au. A high-definition DVD of this video is also available on request.

Toronto School raises funds for sponsor child

For a number of years, students and staff at the small Toronto Campus of Avondale School have sponsored a child through Asian Aid. After struggling to maintain sponsorship funds through mufti days alone, a new focus was given in 2012.

The Toronto Campus staff decided that God would be placed first in all things, and part of that was that their focus would be outward in service for others. A number of fundraisers were held throughout the year, including a cupcake stall and read-a-thon for Book Week. There were also mufti days every term.

The students wrote to the school’s sponsor child Muru, and enjoyed hearing news from him. It was exciting for them to send a donation to Asian Aid at the end of the year, which will cover their sponsorship until March 2014. The school is already planning for additional outreach projects for 2013.

— Michelle Villis

OUR SCHOOLS

MAD at KAS

From 19 to 22 November 2012, students from Kempsey Adventist School (KAS) participated in MAD — Make a Difference — Week. The concept was a new initiative for the school, which involved students and staff participating in a range of projects, with the aim of actively contributing to the community of Kempsey and the Lower Macleay Valley.

Students from Years 7 to 9 each spent a day out of the classroom getting involved in a range of projects. Each day began with students splitting into teams, which then dispersed across the region. Larger teams tackled major projects that included weeding and mulching a large garden bed at the Kempsey showgrounds, tidying up an area of the East Kempsey Cemetery and painting over a heavily graffitied wall behind the pool.

Smaller groups of students participated in activities such as planting seedlings for Landcare’s nursery, visiting elderly members of the community to play board games and chat, playing with young children and infants, cleaning, gardening and yard work. One group also spent some time at the shopping centre, handing out balloons containing messages of encouragement.

Each afternoon, the groups met at Gladstone Oval to eat lunch and share their experiences from the morning, before commencing work on the week’s main project — the planting of 2000 seedlings. The aim of this was to recreate a slice of the lush, sub-tropical rainforest that covered the lower part of the valley 150 years ago. To plant each seedling, students had to work together to dig a hole, place wetting crystals under the seedling and cover the roots of the selected tree with soil and water. Each seedling was then protected with a special weed mat and plastic surround, giving each sapling the best chance to thrive against competing weeds.

At the end of the week, the secondary school met together to review what had been done and to ascertain whether, in fact, KAS had really made a difference. With feedback such as, “Thank you so much for today. You have no idea how much you and your team helped me,” the MAD week organisers were confident that their efforts really did make a difference.

KAS looks forward to MAD week this year where they can once again contribute to their community and really make a difference.

— Leanne Deanshaw

— NorthPoint/Dr Don Roy

FEATURES

Insights into healthy, empowering leadership

In working with Adventist church leaders, I often say, “To grow your church you have to grow your people.”

In the task-based, program-oriented Adventist culture (which, let’s be honest, is a pretty accurate overview), the idea of focusing first on growing to maturity each person in the local body of Christ we call church can seem novel, challenging or just plain impossible.

Not to Pastor Eddie Mackie at Woy Woy Adventist Church. I had the privilege and pleasure of joining Pastor Neil Watts in debriefing Eddie recently on Woy Woy’s most recent Natural Church Development (NCD) Survey.

He’s been there a year and the improvement in the church’s health is already very substantial. For those who know something about the NCD Survey, all eight essential health characteristics of church life* were higher than the previous year, combining to give an overall 25-point increase to an average of 60. The results also indicated greater stability and balance, a foundation for continuing growth.

When you see results like this, you know it’s time to listen very carefully to discern what is going on because there will be important things to learn.

When you are as interested in church leadership as I am, talking with Eddie can be wonderfully irritating. The irritating part is that he constantly resists talking about himself. The wonderful part is that he wants to talk about Jesus and attribute everything to the gracious work of God’s Spirit. But just talking about giving glory to Jesus and the Spirit wasn’t enough for me because God partners with us for growth — and I wanted to know about the other partner!

We talked a bit about what was happening in the church, but it was Neil who finally brought the breakthrough into discussing Eddie’s approach to leadership with a character assessment: “Eddie is a man of prayer and faith who loves the Lord, is committed to serving, talks from experience, is humble, genuine and 100 per cent committed.”

Fortunately Eddie felt the need to explain a little further. I had my pen ready.

• “Jesus is my model.”

• “We can always do better.” He had previously said that significant change is possible. There is faith on display here.

• It is important to have genuine [biblical] compassion for everyone in the church bar none. It’s not just because Jesus set the example, but because, “it also helps me grow.” What I was hearing was that as a leader your own personal feelings, desires and wants are secondary to striving to have God’s heart for His people. As he put it subsequently, “When one is hurting, all other members are also hurting.”

• “Everyone is a child of God and I want them to know they are important.” It was clear to me that he meant important to God, to him and to the church.

• It was through prayer that he could see God’s Spirit at work, bringing people forward for the various things that needed to get done.

You can see now just how accurate Neil’s assessment was. Eddie doesn’t mean to issue a challenge to us all when he speaks like this, but he does. His starting point for growing a healthier church community is not doing things together for God, but growing together in God. People first, not task.

So what has Eddie been doing over the past year? The first thing he did was pray. Faced with a mountain of issues and a small number of people, he kept praying.

At the same time, he started to get to know his people and show them that he loved them. From a foundation of love and trust, he helped people to see that they were a valued part of the church — and that they had an essential part to play. “I wanted each of them to sense that they are important, that the church is a team working together for Christ,” he says.

He encouraged people to contribute their gifts and skills into the life of the church because this was foundational to their growth and the church’s. It was essential to growing together as a team.

In leading this way, Eddie was also sending the message that people cannot expect their leaders to carry the majority of the load, but the role of the leaders is to “equip God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ might be built up . . . and become mature” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

As people started to respond to his prayers, he set out to model the principles of Ephesians 4. He has set aside regular time to invest in the lives of four people in particular, equipping them at their point of need so that they can be fruitful in the lives of others.

It seems like small beginnings in a small church, perhaps just a mustard seed’s worth, but look at the results. If you want your church to become healthier too and find this article challenging, don’t blindly copy what Eddie’s doing, but consider his example: have Jesus as your Model, and invest your time and energies into equipping and growing the saints He has entrusted into your care.

*Empowering Leadership, Gift-based Ministry, Passionate Spirituality, Effective Structures, Inspiring Worship, Holistic Small Groups, Need-oriented Evangelism, Loving Relationships.

— Ian Campbell, NCD International Ian works alongside leaders in our conference to help them grow healthier churches.

FEATURES

Anna’s optimism: Manifest winner on finding value in Christ

Her booming voice is unmistakable— the excitable Anna Beaden, wearing odd thongs, wanders over. We talk swimming, celery, mathematics and toenails. This is classic Anna. We eventually move on to something more meaningful: the Manifest Creative Arts Festival.

Winning a prize at the festival this past year surprised Anna Beaden: she entered a “dodgy” recording in the song composing competition on the closing day.

Anna, a “laid back” arts and teaching student at Avondale College of Higher Education, received a $500 discount off her fees for winning the Young Achiever Prize. Not a bad result. “I wasn’t going to participate,” says Anna, 18. However, she asked God for inspiration. “If You help me finish it, then I’ll submit it,” she remembers praying.

The song, “God Chose You,” is available on the Manifest website. When you hear it, you begin to understand why it may have won.

You won the Avondale Young Achiever Prize for “God Chose You” at Manifest this past year. What’s the song about?

I’m passionate about people feeling accepted, feeling comfortable in their own skin. Being the youngest child, I’ve never really struggled with confidence. That’s fairly clear! Tell me more.

I want people to realise God created each of us differently, and I want people to embrace that. Satan tries to make us feel worthless and that’s reflected in the opening lines of the song: “Stop, who do you think you are? You don’t belong here . . . you’re

not worth it, you’ll never make it.” But Jesus died for each of us — He chose us — so I turned it from a negative message into a positive one: “Listen closely now, you were made for much more . . . don’t give in to all the voices, don’t give in to all the lies.” Instead of dwelling on negativity, accept who you are and spend your time doing worthwhile things.

So, the song is about identity?

Encouraging people to find their identity, their worth, their value in Christ, and then going and living that and letting that change your life. The last couple of lines sum it up: “Go and live like this is true, like the Creator of the world chose you.”

What is it about your music that brings you closer to God?

I love how you can just make it up — improvise, be spontaneous. There’s so much potential to be creative and to express yourself.

Manifest celebrates and encourages the production of creative arts for ministry. It is coordinated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific through the Adventist Media Network and Avondale. The entities are offering $4000 in cash for original creative pieces in filmmaking, fine arts, song composing and writing. Entrants can win up to $1000 in each of six competitions. The competitions close on 8 March 2013.

www.artsmanifest.info

— Josh Dye/Sofia Ruiz Photo courtesy of Colin Chuang

Trust Services: Testamentary trusts

What is a testamentary trust? Put simply, a it’s a trust that is created through an estate. For example, a typical testamentary trust would be created should a minor (a person under the age of 18) become a beneficiary under the terms of a Will. Thus, the administrator/executor/trustee of the estate is now responsible to administer those assets on behalf of the minor.

The minor does not have full control over the assets — in fact, until the minor attains majority,* the guardians of the child will approach the trustee on the minor’s behalf for any requests for funds for things such as education, advancement and maintenance.

Testamentary trusts don’t necessarily have to be for a person’s own children — they cover any minor that an individual includes in their Will.

Other testamentary trusts can be created for people who are intellectually challenged for the period of their lifetime if necessary. Testamentary trusts can also be created for those who have addictions of some kind, such as drugs, alcohol or gambling. Independent trustees other than the Will’s executor can also be

nominated to manage the testamentary trust.

For parents making a Will, they need to keep in mind that if they appoint an older person as an executor or trustee of the Will, that person may not live out the life of the trust. Those making a Will may need to consider making substitutionary trustees or appointing younger ones. These people will also need to be able to manage finances in a mature, sensible way.

*Legally the age of majority is 18, but a testator can extend that in their will if they wish.

— Adele Nash

This advice is general and not necessarily applicable to individual situations.

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.