NorthPoint - March, 2014

Strong numbers for

first Leadership in the Local Church conference

More than 270 people attended the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conferenceorganised Leadership in the Local Church training weekend, held from 7 to 9 February at Avondale College.

Dr Joseph Kidder, a lecturer at Andrews University’s Theological Seminary and wellrecognised authority on leadership and church growth, was the guest speaker for the conference. One minor problem for the weekend was the delay of Dr Kidder’s arrival, which was caused by snowstorms in the US. Pastor Justin Lawman, President of the NNSW Conference, says, “Dr Kidder spent two days in an airport, but arrived in Australia early on Sabbath morning. I stood in for him for the Friday night program and talked about our conference’s vision.”

The flight delay saw the workshops planned for the Sabbath afternoon moved to the morning during Sabbath school time. Attendees could choose to engage with one of five different streams — Preaching (presented by Pastor Lawman), Teaching (Matt Parra), Coaching (Dr Wayne Krause), Teams (Pastor Paul Geelan) or Young People (Rick Hergenhan). Dr Kidder arrived mid-morning and started his presentations.

“Dr Kidder hit the ground running, in spite of the challenges with flights,” says Pastor Paul Geelan, General Secretary of the NNSW Conference. “His presentations were certainly the highlight, and he focused on the fact that God has a plan, wants to be involved in our lives, and the importance of building a connection to Him through our prayer lives and seeking out the will of God. That takes perseverance and prayer, but exciting things will happen if you commit to it.”

Dr Kidder shared powerful testimonies of experiences he had had due to following these guidelines during the sessions that he conducted over the Sabbath, as well as on the Sunday morning of the weekend.

With a commitment to growing, training and equipping leaders, the NNSW Conference Administration team encouraged pastors to bring leaders from their local churches to the meetings so that they were there as a team, and a number were able to do so. Pastor Lawman says, “It was a blessing to have pastors and their key leaders there, and to have them go back to their churches as a team — this will be fundamental to the progress of our conference. I was excited that the leadership weekend went so well, because growing leaders is key for the NNSW Conference.”

Feedback from the weekend was very positive, with attendees overwhelmingly finding the training extremely relevant and practical. It is the NNSW Conference’s intention that the Leadership in the Local Church weekend will be held again. “We want to do it bigger and better next time,” says Pastor Geelan.

— Adele Nash

Page 2: From the President: The dependent church Pages 4: Summer Camps 2014: Training, equipping, leading Page 6: Newcastle Samoan Church Plant officially opened Page 10: Kingscliff’s baptism boom in final months of 2013

Summer Camps 2014 (more on pages 4 and 5)

Photos courtesy of Pastor Paul Geelan and Kyle Morrison

OUR CONFERENCE From the President: The dependent church

Dr Joseph Kidder’s research on growing Adventist churches has revealed some very important and obvious conclusions. I would recommend that you get a copy of his book The Big Four, and that you read it with other local church members.

For me, two big things stand out from what Dr Kidder has discovered.

The Praying Church

Surprise, surprise — growing churches are churches of prayer. They’re not churches that pray only during a meeting or worship service, but churches that struggle with God in prayer. They’re not churches that tack prayer onto the life the of the church, but it is the life of the church.

It is God who grows churches! We think that we have programs, advertising and even relationships that will bring people to God. Every time someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, it is a miracle.

The more we can rely on God’s miraculous power by depending on Him in prayer, the more we will see Him at work. In this work, He alone is glorified. None of us share in His glory, so let’s make sure that He has all of it.

Having Faith in God

Closely linked to a church that prays is a church that believes. All the evidence shows that churches that grow believe that they will grow. Jesus’ constant lesson to His disciples was the lesson of faith. He would take them out on the lake in a storm (Mark 4:35-41), or ask them to feed 5000 people when they had no food or money (Matthew 14:13-21). He would also challenge their lack of faith (Matthew 14:22-33).

Growing churches believe that they will grow because God will grow them. Growing churches believe that God has raised them up for a specific purpose. If He raised a church up for a purpose, He will enable it to achieve that purpose.

To be human is to doubt, but in the end, we only have the choice of believing or not. I choose to believe.

All of this seems so obvious and so simple, and we often want to tell ourselves that it’s complicated or difficult. I think Dr Kidder has really hit the bull’s-eye on this matter though. It’s time the lukewarm church of Revelation 3 discovers its nakedness, blindness and poverty, and begins to depend on God like it really matters — because it does.

— Pastor Justin Lawman

Around The Traps, a weekly e-newsletter from Pastor Justin Lawman, is now available. It features a devotional and news from around the conference. To subscribe, send an email to <northpoint@adventist.org.au> with “E-newsletter subscription” in the subject line.

Chief Financial Officer’s report: February 2014

The North New South Wales Conference’s total tithe for 2013 was $15.0 million.

This represents an increase of 7.0 per cent over the previous year and an average increase of 4.9 per cent over the past five years.

The 7.0 per cent increase in the past 12 months is an amazing blessing from God. We have not seen this sort of conference tithe increase since 2005.

The chart below shows the tithe returned to our conference over the past 10 years.

We would like to celebrate and acknowledge the following larger churches ($100,000-plus tithe per year) within our conference. They have a significant impact on our conference tithe base, and have achieved outstanding tithe increases over the past five years and 12 months respectively.

Space does not permit to acknowledge the significant tithe growth achievements of our smaller churches who faithfully return their tithes to the storehouse in accordance with the biblical model.

— Russell Halliday

Avondale hosts first-ever combined NSW ministers’ meetings

From 2 to 5 February, Avondale College played host to the first-ever combined ministers’ meetings for the three conferences within New South Wales. Almost all of the pastors from the North New South Wales (NNSW), South New South Wales (SNSW) and Greater Sydney (GSC) Conference were able to attend the meetings, which were coordinated by Pastor Paul Geelan (General Secretary, NNSW Conference), Pastor Garth Bainbridge (Ministerial Association Secretary, GSC) and Pastor Kendell Cobbin (General Secretary, SNSW Conference).

Dr Stan Patterson, Chair of the Department of Christian Ministry and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry at Andrews University, was the keynote speaker for the weekend. He was suggested to the conferences by Dr Branimir Schubert, Manager of Leadership and Professional Development for the South Pacific Division.

The first session was held on the Sunday night, following registration and dinner. Dr Patterson conducted eight sessions in total, all based on the theme of leadership, which was explored through the principles given in the Bible.

Pastor Paul Geelan says, “He talked about the creation model of leadership, where people work as a group on a project instead of having one dominant person demanding things. He commented that Satan was all about self-exultation while Jesus was about humility. Jesus’ model of leadership should be the one we adopt. I think a lot of us went home with a renewed sense of the merits of servant leadership.”

In addition to the sessions presented by Dr Patterson, there was time for worship, seasons of prayer, recreation and local conference meetings.

Pastor Justin Lawman, President of the NNSW Conference, says, “It was an historic event because we had all of the pastors from three conferences together for the first time. This was really encouraging, and I liked the challenges given by Dr Patterson about levels of leadership in the church. He encourages the use of the servant leadership model. All of the guys I’ve spoken to really appreciated the meetings, and it was very relevant to a lot of them.”

Pastor Michael Worker, President of the GSC, says, “I thoroughly enjoyed the retreat, and felt it was beneficial for the three conferences to have it together.”

“I would like to express my appreciation to all who planned the event,” says Pastor Mike Faber, President of the SNSW Conference. “They were fantastic seminars that were valuable and uplifting. I heard a number of positive comments from the pastoral team. I am looking forward to more combined events in NSW.”

— Adele Nash

OUR CONFERENCE

New Youth Ministries leadership team

The North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference’s Appointments Committee met on Tuesday, 11 February to elect a new Youth Ministries leadership team, following Pastor Jeff Parker’s move to the role of Youth Ministries Director for the Australian Union Conference.

Rick Hergenhan, who was previously the Associate Youth Ministries Director for the NNSW Conference, has been appointed to the position of Director. Michael Chapman, who has been the minister at Toronto Church and chaplain for the school there for the past year, is the Associate Director.

Rick joined the NNSW Conference Office team in 2012. He grew up in Bega on a farm. In 2001, he worked as the manager of the Pinnacle of Terror team in Tasmania, where he gained experience working with youth. He met his wife Libby there and they were married in 2004. They have two young children — Giles and Heidi.

Rick completed a Graduate Diploma in Theology and Ministry in 2009, and worked at the Raymond Terrace and Wallsend Adventist Churches, as well as being a Chaplain at Newcastle University. He says, “I feel honoured to serve in this role, and look forward to training and equipping our young people to serve Jesus.”

Michael has worked in the NNSW Conference since 2010. He and his wife Bethany have a young daughter, Charlotte. Michael grew up in Harrington near Taree. Bethany was raised in Tasmania, and says, “Both Rick and Chappo have Tasmanian wives, and Heidi is about six weeks younger than Charlotte, so there’s another thing they have in common!”

Michael spent three years in Kempsey doing his internship, and then had a year there as senior pastor. “I cared for Kempsey, South Kempsey and Bellbrook,” he says. “Toronto only had us for one year. We loved our time there and we’ll be sad to not be leading the church any more, but we feel this is where God has led us.”

He adds, “I’m excited about the role — it’s something I’m very passionate about. I’m looking forward to investing in young people, growing a generation of leaders from the youth and teens of our conference, and getting youth excited about the mission of our church and the need the world has for Jesus.”

— Adele Nash

OUR CONFERENCE

Central Coast kids give activity a TRY

Summer Camps 2014: Training,

Summer Camps are a staple of the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference’s Youth Ministries calendar, and they provide a fantastic opportunity for young people from around the NNSW Conference to enjoy activities, worship together, spend time with friends, be trained and equipped for service in God’s Kingdom, and make commitments to Jesus.

Rick Hergenhan, Youth Ministries Director for the conference, says, “Young people really run our camps. This year, we had a weekend staff camp before Summer Camps began. It was compulsory for all staff to attend. We want to train and equip them to be workers for God, give them skills, uplift them and set them up for service. It’s amazing to see what the Holy Spirit can do in a young person’s life in just five days at Summer Camps.”

Close to 1200 eager Central Coast kids swam, rode and ran their way around the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon course on Sunday, 2 February as part of the biggest kids triathlon series on the planet.

Local kids, aged seven to 15 years, received a gold medal from Australian Rugby League player and Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon Ambassador Kurt Gidley, as well as a host of sporting heroes just for giving activity a “TRY” and completing the event at Peninsula Leisure Centre.

“The Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon isn’t just about getting the fastest time or winning the race, but is about taking part, having fun and being healthy,” said Kurt.

The Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRY is designed for kids aged seven to 15 no matter their abilities or experience. Every kid who takes part is a champion and receives a gold medal from sporting heroes at the event.

“I am delighted that 94 per cent of parents surveyed believe the program boosted their child’s self-confidence,” said Sanitarium General Manager of Marketing, Daniel Derrick. “It is great to see the kids bursting with pride as they cross the finish line, and all are rewarded equally with a medal from some of our great sporting ambassadors.”

Now in its sixteenth year, the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon series continues to encourage kids to get healthy and active while building confidence to “give it a TRY” in a fun and rewarding environment.

The Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon includes 12 events held across the country from January to May and will benefit an estimated 19,500 Australian children who will participate this year.

— Sheree Dell

He adds, “We had a great bunch of staff. I want to affirm them all, because they were the young leaders from our local churches. They stepped up and did an awesome job of running the camps.”

The theme for this year’s camps was “Me To We #turnitupsidedown.” Susan Manson, Youth Ministries Secretary, says, “Glendon Harris and Matt Davy made a prop at Junior Camp that had a pulley system going to a bucket. When the kids picked up a stone and put it into the bucket, the M of the logo was turned into a W as the stones weighed it down. It was really impressive and we used it for the next two camps!”

Chris Starrett, a school teacher from Brisbane, was the guest speaker for Junior Camp, which was attended by 108 campers. He connected well with the Juniors, who appreciated his presentations. Warwick Sawyer, a chaplain at Macquarie Adventist College, was the guest speaker for Teen 1 (106 campers), with Hayden Petersen the speaker for Teen 2 (79 campers). Hayden is from the Victorian Conference, and recently finished work as a chaplain at Lilydale Adventist Academy.

Another feature of the camps was a drama that was written and directed by Joshua Page and Brendan Tucker. The play was a dramatisation of the writing of the book of Luke, done in a Sherlock Holmes style with Sir Luke Holmes investigating the miracles that people had seen to ensure it was an accurate account.

Susan says, “When Sir Luke Holmes is interviewing a lawyer named Gregory who witnessed Jesus telling parables, from which he came to believe Jesus to be the Son of God, Gregory tells him, ‘I can’t give you a second-hand Jesus. You need to discover Him for yourself.’”

As well as the worship time, there were plenty of activities for campers to enjoy. Susan says, “The morning activities were to learn skills — such as snorkelling, sailing, kayaking and abseiling — while the afternoon activities were fun things like biscuiting and kneeboarding.”

These Summer Camps were the final ones for Pastor Jeff Parker in the role of Youth Ministries Director for the conference. Susan organised the farewell for him at Teen 1 and says, “On Saturday night, 18 January during the Yarra Top 10 at Teen 1, Rick and I asked Jeff, Robyn and Lleyton to join us on stage. Emma Stilinovic and Bek Parker collected photos of Jeff over the years, and Karina Parker put them together in a slideshow.

“While that was playing in the background, we began presenting symbolic gifts to assist Jeff in transiting to different weather conditions, to assist him on the job in his new role as the Youth Ministries Director for the Australian Union Conference and to support the family as they embark on this journey too. Each gift was presented to Jeff by individuals, from family members to long-serving staff at the camps who have had a special connection with Jeff over the years. Rick then prayed a prayer of blessing for the Parker family and their future as they continue to follow Gods leading in their lives.”

A combined total of 228 campers from across the three camps indicated that they wanted to “turn the ‘me’ into ‘we’ and get to know Jesus” at camp. There were 76 who indicated that they’d like to study the Bible and be baptised, while 45 said that they were already baptised and wanted to follow Jesus.

— Adele Nash

Photos courtesy of Karina Parker, Annalise Lindsay and Lynelle Richards

equipping, leading

OUR CONFERENCE

Cessnock’s ADRA Op Shop takes out competition prize

The ADRA Op Shop in Cessnock won the 2HCRFM Australia Day window decorating competition in January.

Melanie Bonetti, a volunteer who works in the shop, decorated the window on the Wednesday prior to Australia Day and said that nature was her inspiration when creating the window space.

Store manager Lyn Constable said Melanie’s display perfectly captured the theme. “It’s quite simple, but it’s typically Aussie — laid-back and natural,” she says. As part of the prize for winning the competition, the store won a three-month advertising package on 2CHR-FM, which is valued at $990. Following an interview with the station, it was announced that the advertising spots would be extended to 12 months.

The ADRA Op Shop has been trading for about 10 years in Cessnock. Lyn says of the store, “We’re the cheapest in town and cater for all people. Everything is at affordable prices and we’re never short of stock.”

The store takes donations from “all over,” according to Lyn. As well as the typical clothing and bric-a-brac, they also stock a significant amount of furniture. Some of the items that come in are given by resorts in the area. “We’re the biggest second-hand furniture shop in Cessnock,” says Lyn. “We pick up items from all over the place — from Patterson to Scone to Cooranbong.”

With women’s and men’s clothing from $3, children’s clothing from $2 and outfits for babies from $1, Lyn believes the shop provides a good service for people in the area. The money raised by the ADRA Op Shop in Cessnock also goes to a good cause — the Southlakes Women’s Refuge. The Southlakes Women’s Refuge team are very grateful for the support received from the op shops that provide funds to it, as well as church and community members in the Cooranbong/Morisset area.

The Cessnock ADRA Op Shop is open from 9.00am to 3.00pm, Monday to Friday, and is located at 116 Vincent Street.

— Cessnock Advertiser/NorthPoint

Photos courtesy of the Cessnock Advertiser

Newcastle Samoan Church plant offically opened

Talai Mohr, the pastor for the church plant and Cessnock Adventist Church, says, “The main focus of this church plant is to reach out to the Samoan community in Newcastle. At the same time, we are able to reach out and share the Gospel with everybody in the community who is willing to know about Jesus and His saving grace.

“In other words, the group focuses to the Samoan community, but it’s open for anyone. For this reason, we use the Samoan and English languages to communicate the Gospel. We believe that this is the fulfilment of Jesus’ Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew where He says, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:19).”

More than 50 people attended on the opening Sabbath program. Talai says of the numbers attending on the day, three-quarters were Samoan, but the other quarter was made up of non-Samoan friends who came to support the group. “People were blessed and encouraged to do ministry in love and in unity by the powerful message from Pastor Geelan,” say Talai. “The service was concluded with a dedication prayer by Pastor Geelan to officially open the church plant, and also to dedicate the church building where the group meets for Sabbath worship, AYs and Friday vespers every weekend.”

The Sabbath was concluded with a colourful and delicious lunch prepared by the group members. “Everyone was happy and enjoyed spending time together with Pastor Geelan and his family,” says Talai.

He adds, “Our main desire is that the Lord helps us develop this church plant in order to be like a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31 32) in the future. Its member should aim to fulfil Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:19. The outcome will be the group growing in the number of people who believe and accept Jesus into their lives.”

— Talai Mohr

On Sabbath, 9 November 2013, Pastor Paul Geelan, General Secretary of the North New South Wales Conference, opened a church plant at Booragul. The official name for the group is the Newcastle Samoan Seventh-day Adventist Church Plant.

ADRA Op Shop manager Lyn Constable with Melanie Bonetti, along with their window decorating competition award.

OUR CHURCHES

Eye-opening experiences on CCCC’s Cambodia trip

After months of planning, saving, meetings, more saving, bookings — and of course praying — a team of 43 Central Coast Community Church (CCCC) attendees had the time of their lives serving in Cambodia in December and January. The mission trip officially began in Phnom Penh, and the first stop was a sobering start at the Killing Fields. It was a reminder of the cruel and tragic past, but essential in order to understand the needs of the Khmer people.

Around the city, the C4 JUMP (Jesus Understands My Potential) team ran programs for kids, including one at an HIV/AIDS village. Some of the team even built part of a house for a family living in a swamp. A visit to the hospital was an opportunity serve in a caring capacity.

The main focus of the trip was in the small village of Chom Trou, four hours north of there where the team partnered with Restore One to teach kids in the local school about the love of God. Many thanks go to Karen Price and Andrea Grant for preparing excellent programs, themed “Jesus Loves Children.” Each day, 120 kids joined in the games, craft, singing and stories. A highlight for them — and for the team.

While one team ran the kids’ program, another team travelled to other schools to run hygiene clinics. Teaching hand-washing and teeth-cleaning, then shampooing 100 heads for lice, was strangely lots of fun.

In the afternoons, time was spent in team building — the blue team vs the green team vs the A team. Each team built a house for a needy family. The first house was completed in three afternoons, which was a record for any visiting group.

Braeden Altona oversaw a blog for the team, where CCCC members at home could read about the team’s adventures. Writing about his experience in Cambodia, Braeden notes, “Most people would agree that the highlight for Chom Trou was the sleep-over with a special host family. We split up into groups from two to five, and were assigned a family to spend the night with. But there was a catch! With $25, we had to buy pillows, a mozzie net, a ground mat, sarongs, and food for our family for dinner and breakfast!

“We had a great time running around the markets that morning trying to bargain for the cheapest price. We were then introduced to our host families. We were unsure of how many people we would be feeding in each family, and so some groups ended up

with two grandmas to feed while others ended up with a family of 10. Helen, Tim and myself were given an average sized family of five kids. What was special about this family was that this was the family C4 JUMP built a house for last year.

“It was an awesome experience sleeping in the house we had built for these guys. The father wasn’t present that night and we were told that he often isn’t, as he is always out working. Unfortunately, one income isn’t enough for five kids and the mother is also often away working. This leaves the eldest daughter (about nine years old), who is still in school, to provide for the family. We were just amazed at her and what she did. Without thinking, she would collect everyone’s dishes and quietly wash whilst we were still chatting away. We have all had incredibly eye-opening experiences.”

— John and Melissa Sanburg

Doors open for worship at Coonamble Church

On Sabbath, 25 January, the doors of Coonamble Church opened up once again for worship.

The Adventist Aviation Association (AAA) flew out for the Sabbath to take part in the service. Pastor John Kosmeier shared some of the history of AAA’s ministry out in the west and is committed to play a continuing role in supporting these churches.

Keith and Danuta Stockwell, the ministerial team from Bourke and Brewarrina, were

You can read more about the CCCC Cambodia trip at <http://c4jump2014.blogspot.com.au>

also on hand to lead out in the main service, and to share some of their experiences they have had in the past three years growing a church in the Outback. It was inspirational to hear their testimony and how God has been with them in their calling. The week leading up to the re-opening saw a small group of Literature Evangelists brave the 40-plus temperature days to reach out into the community with literature and DVDs. The local pool became a good place to wind down and cool off at the end of the day. More than 20 people in the community accepted Beyond DVDs and are happy to receive follow up visits.

Coonamble Church is currently meeting monthly and is looking forward to establishing a weekly worship service by the end of the year. A special note of appreciation to all who are working to make this happen. God is able, if we are willing.

— Shaun Hepworth

OUR CHURCHES

Community enjoys celebration of Christmas at Woy Woy

Following a long tradition of having carols in the church hall, last December, Woy Woy Church took carols by candlelight to the community by placing chairs on the footpath outside the church, and having the singing and reenactment of the Nativity scene on the front lawn of the church.

The chairs were quickly occupied by passers-by and the children impressed the crowd with singing traditional carols! Members of Erina, Gosford and Woy Woy Churches provided the orchestra and singers.

After the program, the visitors were treated to a healthy cuppa and home-made, CHIP-approved sweets. Everybody agreed that this is the way to go — taking the message to the people!

In addition to the carols, Mark Webster spoke on behalf of ADRA Australia to raise community awareness of the work of the Adventist Church.

— Dorothy Pansare

Photos courtesy of Brad Marshall

Combined carols at Booragul

On Saturday, 14 December 2013, the Newcastle Samoan Newcastle Samoan Adventist Church Plant held a combined Christmas carols program with the Uniting Church members at Booragul. Among those in attendance from the two churches were some people from the community who came to join the singing and enjoy a colourful Christmas meal.

Talai Mohr, who ministers to the church plant, says, “We sang three Christmas hymns, including a Samoan song the Uniting Church members requested. Our young children also sang two songs. The audience was impressed with their performance! A few members of the Uniting Church said, ‘We have no children in our church, but you are so blessed! Your children are very talented and friendly.’”

Talai believes the combined carols program was a “special opportunity” to connect with people of other denominations and the general community. “The Uniting Church has invited us to do another combined Christmas carols program in 2014,” he says.

The Samoan Church Plant members were also invited to a combined Christmas service on Christmas Day. Talai prepared a short sermon about Christmas to share with members, and the children sang two songs. “As an Adventist pastor, I praise the Lord for all the opportunities He has given our group during the Christmas season to connect and share with others about what we believe,” says Talai. “We have a good connection with the Uniting Church and new friends in the community.”

— Talai Mohr/NorthPoint

10 days of blessings for Spanish Church

The entire membership of the Newcastle Spanish Church came together and met at three different locations for the Ten Days of Prayer program, which took place around the world at the same time from the dates of 8 to 17 January.

It finished with a special program of testimonies, praise and music on Sabbath, 18 January. There was much joy and thanksgiving for all of the answers to prayer they received. The Holy Spirit brought unity, a sense of peace and a good disposition to work earnestly for the cause of the Lord.

The time spent in fellowship and prayer during these 10 days was really a great blessing, and the Spanish Church members give honour and glory to God for it.

— Lilian Rodriguez

Dora Creek siblings baptised

OUR CHURCHES

Beautiful baptism day at Ourimbah Adventist Church

After a series of Bible studies conducted by Dora Creek Children’s Ministries leader Christine Geelan, Chantelle and Enoch Kavur were baptised on 11 January.

Pastor Peter Cousins baptised Enoch during the divine service that morning and, later that afternoon, Chantelle was baptised in a seaside service at Catherine Hill Bay.

— George Drinkall

First baptism for myCHURCH

Maitland Church “planted” the myCHURCH community at Gillieston Heights early in 2013. Late last year, Samantha Crisp selected Little Beach at Pirate Point in Newcastle Harbour as the location for her baptism. It was a final act of ministry in Maitland for Rick Meale before leaving for South Australia.

Samantha has been a valued member of myCHURCH, leading in praise time and supporting the church’s regular Messy Church events. Sam’s family and close friends provided a circle of support in the water, and young people on the breakwall supported her with songs of praise and commitment. It is a great family to belong to!

— Russell Schulz

Ourimbah Adventist Church was tastefully decorated with floral displays of blue, white and mauve, which complemented the dark blue and white collared robes of three very happy and smiling young women on Sabbath, 23 November last year. These three — Althea Jamora, Sara Howell and Mai Fallon — are very good friends and had studied together with Pastor Vern Parmenter in the lead-up to baptism.

Special music had been chosen to add to both the Sabbath school and divine service programs, with the girls playing their violins and cello during the Sabbath school program. An audio-visual display depicting each of their lives from birth ‘til baptism had been prepared too.

Not very long after the divine service began, an incredible storm struck, blacking out the church, meaning the microphones and sound system could not be used.

This was no deterrent — the devil couldn’t intervene and Althea, Sara and Mai were totally unfazed by the altered circumstances as each one sang a separate verse from the song “Living For Jesus,” joining together to sing as a trio for the chorus.

The chorus of “Living for Jesus” reminds us that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, and that in His atonement, He gave Himself for us all. It says, “I own no other Master/My heart shall be Thy throne/My life I give henceforth to live/O Christ, for Thee alone.”

A special rendition of “The Holy City” was presented by Ricky Jamora and, even without microphones, the music was very inspiring.

As each young woman took her turn to step into the font, Pastor Parmenter invited each set of parents to go up to the side of the font and give a little testimony about their daughter’s decision to follow Jesus, and to watch as the baptisms took place.

The blackout lasted into the combined lunch, where a special meal was shared and a baptism cake had been prepared. Althea, Sara and Mai were also presented with bouquets of colourful Singapore orchids.

Just as the church members were preparing to leave for home, the lights came back on and they were able to enjoy the PowerPoint display. It was a very blessed and sacred Sabbath, which was enjoyed by all.

— Margaret McCrow

From left to right: Althea Jamora, Sara Howell and Mai Fallon with Pastor Vern Parmenter at Ourimbah Adventist Church.

OUR CHURCHES

Kingscliff’s baptism boom in final months of 2013

Kingscliff Adventist Church experienced a boom in baptisms at the end of 2013, with 17 people committing their lives to Christ during the final four months of the year. Adding to the excitement, there were also three re-baptisms as church members experienced a revival in their daily walk with Jesus.

It was a wonderful way for Pastor Marcus Mundall and Yong Shin Chee to end their time at Kingscliff before they moved on to Kempsey and Erina respectively.

“It was a real high point for me,” Yong Shin says. “It’s an exciting time for the church and I can’t think of a better way to spend my final Sabbaths at Kingscliff than baptising people in Cudgen Creek.”

12 people were actually baptised on the one afternoon, Sabbath, 30 November — many of them youth. Pastor Mundall had the joy of baptising two of his sons, Moses and Zadok.

“That was very exciting,” Pastor Mundall says. “I remember when they were first born, I thought about when they would be baptised. That’s been my dream — as a parent and a pastor, you want them to follow Jesus more than anything.”

15-year-old Camille Shakespeare was baptised with three friends on Sabbath, 7 December after deliberating about it for some time.

“When the appeals would happen at church, I’d consider going up, but I was always too nervous. Then I did some Bible studies with Yong Shin over a few months and that answered some of the questions I had, and I came closer to God during that time,” she says.

Camille says she was overwhelmed by the love she felt from the church that day — something that Yong Shin credits for the increase in baptism numbers at Kingscliff.

“It’s not about what Marcus or I have done as pastors — it’s about the support of the church and individual members witnessing for Christ. A pastor can preach and teach, but without the love of the church, people wouldn’t want to be baptised,” he says.

Pastor Mundall agrees.

“The young ones, really, much of the credit goes to their parents,” he says. “When parents lead the life of Christ in the home, their children want to follow in their footsteps. They see Jesus in their Mum and Dad.”

Those baptised were Bailey Carrasco, Oliver Fua, John Halmai, Luke Halmai, Mark Halmai, Breanna Higgins, Cobi Johnson, Elle McCracken, Jacob Marshall, Moses Mundall, Zadok Mundall, Zane Penman, Zoe Penman, Jannis Seilor, Camille Shakespeare, Samantha Teale and Matthew Wilson. Tracey Higgins, Jelena Shipton and Graeme Wilson were re-baptised.

— Summer Lockley

Photos courtesy of Nathan Marshall and Kevin Maevsky

Support for South Sudanese refugees

Review: For the One

Ten thousand are reported dead and more than half a million people displaced as a result of ongoing violence in South Sudan, with leading aid groups calling for assistance to meet the growing humanitarian needs of those displaced into neighbouring countries.

“Reports indicate that up to 70 per cent of those fleeing their homes are women and children,” says Beryl Hartmann, Humanitarian Program Officer at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia. “It is vital we protect and support those made most vulnerable in situations like this.”

More than 25,000 people will benefit from ADRA’s current response, which includes the installation of hygienic toilet systems, the distribution of essential items including bedding, soap and cutlery, and the installation of water harvesting systems. ADRA is targeting refugees in neighbouring Uganda.

“At this stage the priority is meeting people’s basic needs and protecting against disease to ensure people who have left everything behind survive to see peace return,” says Beryl.

In addition, ADRA is working with local authorities to guard against future disasters and unsustainable practices by actively protecting the environment surrounding the refugee camps.

“ADRA volunteers are working with community members to map and mark trees,” said Beryl. “This process protects them against felling by the hugely inflated population as they collect fire wood.”

ADRA responds to numerous disasters across around the world. Responses to the Syrian refugee crisis, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and Cyclone Ian in Tonga continue. ADRA also holds official agreements to the NSW, ACT and WA state governments to provide emergency accommodation during emergencies here in Australia.

For more information about these or any of ADRA’s work overseas or here in Australia, visit <www. adra.org.au> or call 1800 242 372.

— Braden Blyde

ADRA Australia is a Christian aid and humanitarian agency that empowers communities and changes lives in Australia, the Pacific, Asia and Africa. It is a member of the Australian Council for Social Services and a member of the Australian Council for International Development. ADRA Australia is part of the international ADRA network with has a presence in 126 countries. ADRA is the worldwide humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The One Project event in Newcastle in July 2013 was one of the church-related activities I enjoyed most last year. It was exciting to explore new faith ideas through group discussions, pray with new acquaintances and old friends, and explore what “Jesus. All.” could mean for us, for our churches, for our conference.

The One Project aims to stimulate the preaching, worship and following of Jesus within and through the Adventist Church. This is done via gatherings, conversations, web-based content and Jesus-focused publications.

One of these publications was launched at The One Project’s February gathering in Seattle. For the One: Voices from The One Project is a collection of 19 adapted presentations from One Project meetings to date. Contributors include a variety of One Project leaders such as Tim Gillespie, Sam Leonor, Lisa Clark Diller and Dilys Brooks, as well as local presenter Joanna Darby. The pieces in the book are grouped into three segments — Jesus in Our History, Jesus in Our Theology and Jesus in Our Practice — as the book explores topics such as Adventist identity, recognising Jesus as Lord and leadership in Jesus.

There’s also a great introduction from Japhet De Oliveira, one of the founders of The One Project. He describes how The One Project came into being and the vitality of the “Jesus. All.” message. He writes, “My personal theology for The One Project, for my local church community ‘One Place’ and for my life is embedded in the stories of Jesus found in Luke 15: everyone matters! But the breadth and depth of this truth are found in the entirety of Scripture. Hope, joy and community—all in Jesus. They lead to the beauty that we are not alone.”

The other pieces in For the One are also a fantastic exploration of a rekindled, revitalised, all-consuming love for Jesus that flows through into the communities surrounding us. The pieces all call the reader to action too, not just reflection. It is an important reminder that we all have the opportunity to minister to others with whatever talents we have been given, all while making Jesus the all in our lives.

— Adele Nash

For the One: Voices from The One Project

Edited by Nathan Brown with Alex Bryan and Japhet De Oliveira

183 pages