NorthPoint - October, 2014

Lifeboat reaches the community

For the past two months, the Newcastle Multicultural Church has been assisting more than 30 families each Thursday with food parcels as part of the Lifeboat Community Service charity. Pastor Esava Koro, who ministers to the Multicultural Church, says, “Each week, we have new people turning up. The purpose of the food parcel program is to build community, and for our church members to have interactions with people who come to get their food packages.”

The church members provide some light refreshments — drinks and snacks, and sometimes soup and buns — in the church hall every Thursday morning when the food parcels are handed out. People who come consistently are invited to be part of the volunteer team, and are encouraged to come early the following Thursday to help set up tables and assemble packages.

There are more than 10 people from the church who volunteer consistently for the Lifeboat program every week, but community members are also joining in. Pastor Koro notes that six people recently helped with assembling the packages. “Some have even said they want to come on Saturday to worship with us,” he says.

The church itself is not promoted through the Lifeboat charity, but that doesn’t stop people from asking questions about what they do and what the church is about. People are also surprised that food is being given away for free.

“We are getting a good response from the community,” says Pastor Koro. “Most people who would never set foot in a church are coming to us. And the good thing is that we’re not going to them — they’re coming to us. For them to have the confidence to come to our church hall is very encouraging, and we want to build a sense of community with them.”

In their first weeks of operation, the Lifeboat volunteer team from the Newcastle Multicultural Church worked on promoting the food parcels in their community around the church. They would take food parcels to people’s homes and tell them where to come to receive a food parcel the following week. “Some people are coming all the way from Toronto,” says Pastor Koro. “Most of them are from the local area though, such as Edgeworth, Jesmond, Hamilton, Mayfield and Maryland.”

Word-of-mouth has been vital in promoting the food parcel program, which has become a ministry that the members of the Multicultural Church are excited about. “It builds community and people are asking important questions,” says Pastor Koro. “With one of the families I used to visit to deliver DVDs to, we would hardly talk. But when I bring them a food parcel, we stop and talk, and have fruitful conversations.”

Lifeboat Community Service has been around in the area for around a decade.

Sau Finau, a fourth-year Theology and Ministry student at Avondale College is the Lifeboat food program director who also runs the food program from the Bonnells Bay (Continued on page 5)

OUR CONFERENCE From

the President: Building bridges, not barriers

At the moment, personal religious liberty is under severe threat because of the actions of a few. As Seventh-day Adventists, we need to be vigilant and our voices need to be very clear about personal freedoms and religious liberty. It is important that we don’t get caught up in the hysteria surrounding terrorism. Some people may not believe in religious liberty, but we certainly do and our church has a long and significant history in advocating for it. The thirteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation shows that the final conflict in the world will be one where religious liberty is no longer tolerated or given by governments. This will affect us and our ability to obey our consciences, although God will sustain us.

In places all over the world, people are persecuted because of their faiths — whether they’re Christian, Buddhist, Yazidi or Muslim. Instead of allowing others the freedom to worship as they choose, individuals, organisations and sometimes even governments try to control or extinguish faithful religious observance.

Much is made of the similarities between the Seventh-day Adventist faith and the Islamic faith. Our lifestyle practices have a lot of points where we have crossover and agreement — abstinence from alcohol, not using unclean foods in your diet (particularly avoiding the use of pork products), and the priority placed on personal devotion and worship.

Above the fact that we have some things in common should be the fact that everyone needs the personal liberty and freedom to worship God — or not — in the way they see fit. God has created us and gives us the incredible capacity to make our own choices. If God allows others to do that, how could we ever impose ourselves where He has refused to? While I and many others feel uncomfortable with people wearing burqas or niqabs, if the individuals wearing them truly believe God wants them to do so, then they can go for it. I will defend their right to worship God in the way they see fit as long as it doesn’t harm others.

The real distinction between the Seventh-day Adventist faith and the Islamic faith is found in the person of Jesus. While both faiths acknowledge Jesus as a real historical figure, the Islamic faith confines Him to being a good man and a prophet. Seventh-day Adventists maintain that He is the creator of the world (see Hebrews 1:2), He is fully divine as the second Person of the Godhead (see John 8:58, Hebrews 1:8 and Isaiah 9:7) and that He paid the price for the sin of the world (See John 3:16 and Romans 6:23). We believe He is the only way anyone can ever go to Heaven (John 14:6 tells us, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.”). It’s not the Sabbath that makes us special — it’s the Person of Jesus. Jesus defines who we are as Adventists.

I think it is important that we continue to build on the similarities between Adventism and Islam, and that we work on building connections with people in our communities on the basis of the things we have in common. When we love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:31), it’s easy to follow the “golden rule” of doing unto others what we would want done to us (Matthew 7:12). This helps to build bridges, not barriers.

Youth Ministries leaders attend Oshkosh Camporee

From 11 to 16 August, Pastor Rick Hergenhan, Director of the Youth Ministries Department for the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference, and Pastor Michael Chapman, Associate Director of the department, attended the World Pathfinder Camporee held at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There were around 47,000 people in attendance from all over the world, and the theme of the camporee was “Forever Faithful,” focusing on the story of Daniel.

Pastor Hergenhan says, “The camporee was held in the week following the Oshkosh Airshow, so they used a lot of the hangars and marquees from the airshow. The Pathfinders did a lot of activities, marching displays and competitions, honours, pin trading — which is a massive thing over there — and got to know new people.”

There were also baptisms every night before the main program started. The highlight of the program was the drama, which was run every night. The drama featured singing as well as acting. There was also an investiture on the Sabbath morning of the camporee. Pastor Nick Kross, Director of Youth Ministries for the South Pacific Division, and Pastor Hergenhan invested Tori Mills, a Master Guide from the Lakeside Pathfinder Club, who was in attendance.

The Youth Ministries team attended to glean ideas, support the South Pacific Division and to network. “We got some good ideas of things to do — and perhaps not to do — from our time there,” says Pastor Hergenhan. “I think it was really good to see the world-wide nature of Pathfinders, and to see some of the other aspects of Pathfindering that make it very special in other parts of the world.

“It’s a great opportunity to see lots of different cultures coming together and working for a common cause, and united in their love for Jesus Christ.”

— Adele Nash

— Pastor Justin Lawman

Editor: Adele Nash

Good signs for Better Books and Food

At the end of August, new signage was put up on the Better Books and Food shop in Cooranbong. The sign, which was completed by Craig McDonald of Vector Designs, comes after the re-branding of the shop last year (see the November 2013 issue of NorthPoint). The store was formerly known as the Adventist Book Centre.

Allan Hill, Manager of Better Books and Food, says there were some challenges in finding a company to do the sign. “It took us about 10 companies,” he says. “Some weren’t interested, some just didn’t answer calls.”

A retired sign writer recommended Vector Designs, as the owner was a former student of his. Allan says, “Vector Designs have done an absolutely incredible job. They come from Belmont, and he got onto the work straight away for us.”

The new signage has already been good for business.

“On the first day we had the sign up, we had a busload of people come in,” says Allan. “The store was absolutely packed and we had three tills going. It was amazing. We’ve had new people in every day who’ve never known we were here before and have just popped in. We’ve also had people who are new to the area who don’t know Cooranbong at all who have said they’ll be coming back. It’s opened the business up to a great extent.”

The new sign is large and easy to read. The sign has also provided definition that the building is for a business, rather than a private house.

“The simplicity and clarity is good,” says Allan. “It took a long while going through all of the committees to get the Better Books and Food name approved. A lot of the problem we had experienced was that we would have non-Adventist people come in asking if they were allowed to be there because they weren’t Adventists. It was a hindrance,” he notes.

“But now with Better Books and Food branding, we say we’re owned and operated by the church — we’re not afraid to say we’re Adventists — but the name has made people feel more comfortable in coming into the store.”

Customers are happy with the signage and rebranding too. “The positive feedback we’ve had has been exciting. I’ve had people call me out of my office wanting to see me and they come with their hands out to shake my hand to say congratulations on the fantastic sign,” says Allan. “It’s happened on numerous occasions.”

The rebranding took place last year to reflect the amalgamation of the bookshop with the Sanitarium Health Food Company’s factory shop. It went through a rigorous process with the North New South Wales Conference’s Executive Committee. “It went back and forth a few times,” says Allan. “It was a long process until everyone was happy. But we haven’t had one negative comment about the rebranding.”

Since taking over the factory shop, Better Books and Food has made more than a million dollars worth of sales up to June this year. “This is absolutely amazing for an Adventist Book Centre in Australia to process more than a million dollars in a financial year,” says Allan. “In this calendar year, we’re sure to do more than that.”

The shop’s sales are 46 per cent food-based. Approval is now being awaited for a Sanitarium-specific sign, which will be placed on the wall near the entry to the store. Better Books and Food have also taken on distribution for Remnant Publications in Australia. “That’s increasing business as well, which is fantastic and so exciting,” notes Allan.

— Adele Nash

OUR CONFERENCE

Playful Worship heads to Fiji

From 19 to 24 August, Navasau High School in Fiji played host to a Children’s Ministries meeting to launch the Faith Shapers program. It was organised by Julie Weslake, Director of Children’s Ministries for the South Pacific Division, and featured material presented by Julie; Pastor Daron Pratt, Director of Children’s Ministries for the North New South Wales Conference; and Kylie Stacey, author of the Playful Worship book and member of Lakeside Adventist Church.

The program was open to anyone from the church, including Children’s Ministries leaders, Sabbath school leaders, parents and others. There were also some fathers in attendance, which Kylie, who took part in the program to share her Playful Worship message, describes as “great, as they specifically mentioned the need to have fathers involved.”

Most days averaged around 150 people in attendance, with close to 250 on the Sabbath of the program.

Kylie ran Playful Worship workshops for participants and the children who attended. She says, “In Fiji, they sort of copy the way we do things. They’ve been buying little chairs for the kids to sit on, but now over here in Australia, we’re saying, ‘No, forget that — what you’ve always done has been better!’ You know — having the kids sitting on their parents’ laps on the ground. It was an opportunity for us to learn from them while they learned from us.

“It was a lot of fun, and it was probably the best week of my year thus far. The people were so relaxed, happy and really wanted to learn. They want to have the resources and be well-equipped. I love the Fijian culture and the simple way they live. Everything is so authentic. The singing — you walk into church and hear the spontaneous singing and it’s all so harmonious. I feel like I learned a lot.”

Julie sold 100 copies of the Playful Worship books. They also sold or gave away other Children’s Ministries resources in their time in Fiji.

Kylie has also recently conducted Playful Worship workshops in Melbourne and New Zealand, and she says the response has been really good. “One of the nice things in Melbourne in one of the workshops was two older ladies there who sang along to the songs, etc. They were being innovative in their own little country church, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s so nice that people their age are willing to try so many new things!’ There are a lot of people in Australia who are using the Playful Worship book, which is great.”

The second Playful Worship book will be out in April next year.

— Adele Nash

OUR CHURCHES

“Is God Finished?” at University of Newcastle

You won’t get converts in five minutes because many people start at a minus 10, but they’ll start considering faith.”

“If you want to take the Gospel to the world, Australian universities have people from almost every country,” said Morgan. “And when they go home, they’re the thought leaders.”

Katie added, “The many miracles that occurred to bring the program together in such a short time span gave us complete assurance that God was behind it. He definitely did exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or imagine. We were ecstatic with the results.”

“The seminar series was titled ‘Is God Finished?’ People came and were challenged to re-consider Christianity and the evidence for it. It introduced a God who gives meaning to life,” said Tarenne. “This is just the first in a series of outreach events we’re planning. God isn’t finished with university students yet.”

“I’m an atheist. I only came for the free food,” joked Andrew, 23. But he came consistently, watching the Big Questions films and Dr Grenville Kent’s talks on evidence for Christianity. On the final night, he said, “These meetings are really getting to me. I want to know more about your God. Can I come to your church?”

“I was expecting apologetics seminars might move people from say a minus 10 on a spiritual scale to a minus five,” said Dan Livingston, an elder of the My House Church Plant in central Newcastle. “But Andrew came to our church the next Sabbath — not bad for a Treasurer of the Atheist Society. He told us, ‘I like the intellectual evidence, but I want to experience God.’”

Keith was having a beer in the bar near the seminar room when someone invited him to see the presentation “Could God See The Future?” Keith, an agnostic, was highly impacted by the prophecy of Daniel 9. “I didn’t know there was such evidence that God can see the future with perfect accuracy, and sees my life too.” He said he felt known and cared for by God. “I’m going to go home and read the book of Daniel,” he said. He’s also been invited to Bible studies.

Melinda, 21, said, “I’m an agnostic because no-one has shown me evidence for God.” A very quiet, gifted person, she listened intently to the content. She is now reading books on Christian evidence and is coming along to the follow-up small group. Adventist students connected with her and even drove her home after the meetings, which was 30 minutes each way.

Ben, 19, was raised a Christian, but lost his faith while studying science. He attended the seminar out of curiosity, and said, “I didn’t realise there were so many top scientists who have faith.” He is now reading a book by John Lennox.

Rohan, 19, has a Hindu background. He enjoyed the meetings so much he brought a fellow Indian student.

These are just some of the people who came to outreach seminars at Newcastle University, where Dr Kent test-screened some of the new Big Questions apologetics films and spoke about reasons to believe the Christian faith.

“This outreach was run by young people,” said Dr Kent. “It was organised by education student Morgan Vincent, 20, and Bible workers Tarenne Greenwood, 18, and Katie Kuivisto, 23. They worked hard at advertising and got great support from other young Adventists who intentionally connected with the visitors, inviting them to great followup meetings and socials.”

“People at church got excited by this new idea for evangelism,” said Tarenne, “We were blown away with the support from the My House Church Plant. They really went above and beyond.”

The opportunity trial the Big Questions series was also appreciated. “It was good to test the Big Questions films, which we plan to release next year,” said Dr Kent. “The feedback was encouraging. Universities are a great untouched mission field. You have bright people in an open, curious stage of their lives, with time to ask big questions.

Seeking Adventist students studying at Newcastle Uni

Pastor Michael Chapman, Associate Director of Youth Ministries for the North New South Wales Conference and Adventist Chaplain at Newcastle University, is seeking to build connections with Adventist students who are attending the university.

If you’re an Adventist student who has recently begun attending Newcastle University — or you have family members or friends who have — Chappo would love to get in touch with you. “I want to connect with Adventist students in Newcastle,” he says. “I’m happy to do anything — we can plug people in to local churches and help them as they need. It would be awesome to get to know some of the new Adventist students at the uni so we can build a network of students.”

To connect, contact Chappo on (02) 4951 8088 or email <MichaelChapman@adventist.org.au>.

— NASA Team

Lifeboat reaches the community

(Continued from page 1)

Youth And Community Centre. He says, “We started this program in March this year with a group of four Tongan families who met every Friday night for vespers in one of the rooms at Avondale Memorial Church. Our numbers began to grow and were encouraged by the church pastor to plant a Tongan church group. On the first Sabbath worship as a recognised group, Pastor Justin Lawman, the North New South Wales Conference President, challenged us to try and reach out into the community.”

Sau notes, “Just because we’re a Tongan group doesn’t mean we only minister to Tongans. It was a challenge for us because we wondered how we’d reach the community and we don’t have many Tongans living in Cooranbong. We have to find ways of ministering that other churches are not doing. We prayed and asked God to show us how to reach out to the community, and this is how we came up with the food parcel program.”

With experience on the streets and knowledge of the food bank in Sydney, Sau also knew they would have to access it through a registered charity organisation. Because Lifeboat is such an entity, the group asked if they would be able to use the name in order to have the privilege of accessing the food bank in Sydney.

“We started small with about 20 food parcels per week,” says Sau. “It doubled the following week, then it just went crazy. Now we’re distributing up to 70 food parcels each week. Our volunteers are serving every Thursday from 9.00am to 12.00pm.”

Lifeboat food programs run on an average budget of $200 to $250, and feed up to 300 people on a weekly basis. As the numbers are growing, the budget will also need to grow as well. “Our total number of clients is calculated from the weekly data we’re collecting and base it on a standard family of four,” says Sau. “This data is then forwarded to Foodbank Australia, and we also use it for feedback to our faithful

Lifeboat shop opens in Cooranbong

On Sunday, 27 July, the Lifeboat Community Services Shop opened in Cooranbong at 433 Freemans Drive. The shop is currently open between 8.00am and 12.00pm from Monday to Friday, and 9.00am to 2.00pm on Sunday.

Lifeboat started as a street soup kitchen in the Charlestown area in the early 2000s, and the charity has also been involved in op shops and food giveaways over the years, as well as recently expanding to the Gold Coast. It is an established non-profit organisation with tax-deductible receipt status. But according to Kyle Morrison, who is one of Lifeboat’s board members, the charity hadn’t been reaching its full potential of late.

The Lifeboat team had been looking for a way to realise that potential. Kyle says, “We started praying for a solution or an opportunity, and then BAM! Six weeks later, we opened the doors of the new Lifeboat Community Shop.”

He says that there has been a significant amount of support and encouragement to date for the op shop, but they are still looking for more helpers. “We want to thank all of those who have helped us get off the ground with donations, time and prayer. Even AsianAid loaned us the hangers to get started!” Kyle says. “The word is slowly spreading and the customer base is growing. It’s exciting to consider the full potential of this project”

They are planning to expand the shop and are considering opening for some afterhours trading during summer — “if the customers are keen to shop after work, we are

OUR CHURCHES

financial donors.”

With people coming from as far away as Gosford and Newcastle for assistance, Sau notes that people are worried about the impact the proposed Federal Budget might have on the vulnerable.

“Pensioners in particular are suffering,” he says. “There are also issues for young people with the proposed changes to Centrelink access. The government is starting to rely more heavily on churches and other community organisations to do the work they should be doing.”

But Lifeboat Community Service is willing to accept anyone and everyone who is in need of assistance. “There’s no eligibility criteria for coming to us,” Sau says. “Other agencies have assessment officers to make sure a client is eligible for emergency relief before they receive any service. But which criteria do you assess people who just lost their job last week and are not eligible for Centrelink payments for the next month or so? We just have to trust what people are telling us. When Jesus fed the 5000, did He ever ask who truly needed a piece of bread or fish? That’s a self-centred, selfish mentality. If people are genuinely in need, they will take the time to come to us, and we are there to love and to serve them. No string attached.”

Sau says the Lifeboat food program attracts people who want to make a difference in their community. “We want to give people the opportunity to serve,” he says. “We encourage our clients to volunteer with us. We don’t only give them food — we want to give them a sense of purpose and responsibility. Most of our clients are second and third generation welfare dependent. Some of our clients now have strong self-esteem, which comes from volunteering. They are encouraged to start looking for work and are here to also help them achieve their goal.”

— Adele Nash

willing to open.” Lifeboat is looking to fund more community aid programs with the shop’s profits, and to raise the profile and volunteer support to help with other projects.

“We just want to create ways for volunteers to build relationships with the community, get outside their comfort zone and serve without an agenda,” says Kyle.

Lifeboat’s board is made up of Adventist Church members, but is not religiously affiliated. Kyle notes the importance of the volunteers who work at the Lifeboat Community Shop, and with other Lifeboat services. “We have an amazing team of volunteers who operate the Bonnells Bay food giveaway,” he says. “They are making a number of meaningful connections with people on a weekly basis. They’ve generated plenty of interest in the food giveaway concept from other volunteer groups, and we are looking forward to expanding as soon as possible.”

“The possibilities for expansion are only limited to the willingness of you, the volunteer base, to serve your community,” Kyle notes.

“We hope to build a new mobile soup kitchen and not only give away food on the streets, but clothing, shoes, haircuts and hugs,” says Kyle. “This would be great for youth groups seeking practical ways to serve locally and create some memorable life experiences.

“Small acts of kindness can make the world a better place, but big acts of kindness can make our community vibrant with meaningful relationships. Winston Churchill once said, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ We want to encourage everyone to have a life and give in any way they can, through us or through another channel, as long as you give. I know I personally have been blessed to see God open many doors over the past few months”

— Adele Nash

Find out more about the Lifeboat Op Shop at <www.lifeboat.org.au> or connect on Facebook via <www.facebook.com/lifeboatcs>.

OUR CHURCHES

Hymns and Songs at Homecoming 2014

A journalist and broadcaster criticised the profession’s wariness of religious issues after candidly declaring her faith during Avondale College of Higher Education’s Homecoming concert.

In an interview midway through Hymns and Songs of Praise, Geraldine Doogue described her Christian faith as giving her life “solace and ballast.” The host of Compass on ABC TV and Saturday Extra on ABC Radio National said the best journalists work with a sense of conviction, but “do not know how to handle religion.” Their hesitancy to ask about a belief system “is a real pity” because “[asking about it is] often the best clue you’ll get to try and understand a person.”

Geraldine’s return as host — she played the same role at the most recent Hymns and Songs in Newcastle in 2012 — helped fill Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church. The concert commenced at 7.00pm, and was produced by Dr Lyell Heise and Valmai Hill, who both direct the South Pacific Division’s Institute of Worship.

The concert celebrated the Christian tradition of hymn and song singing. Performers included The Promise, Albert Mataafa (tenor), Marian Moroney (soprano) and the Institute of Worship Orchestra. Attendees greatly appreciated the variety of music and skill of the performers.

Murdoch Lecture

The annual Murdoch Lecture explored the role of religion in academe. Speaker Dr Lawrence Geraty, president emeritus of La Sierra University (Riverside, California, USA), used Avondale’s values statement to remind those attending why they associated with a Seventh-day Adventist tertiary institution. Adapting text from a philosophy brochure of the Markham Woods Seventh-day Adventist Church, Lawrence described Avondale as “a place where people seek to become all that God has in mind for them to be.”

Citations

Teachers received most of the citations at Homecoming. Avondale Alumni Association’s Alumna of the Year Adele Rowden-Johnson worked in technical and further education for 10 years before her first contact with what is now Southlakes Refuge. “I was only meant to stay for a short while, then return to TAFE teaching. God had other ideas.” The association honoured the former managing director for her dedication in caring for and raising awareness of women and children who are the victims of abuse or domestic violence.

Alumnus of the Year Cliff Morgan turned down multiple offers from the Adventist

Church to teach in its schools, promising instead that once retired, he would serve the mission of the church at his own expense. Cliff made good on his promise after a visit to the Solomon Islands and to Papua New Guinea in 1995. The church’s greatest need in those countries: finding sponsors for local missionaries to grow churches in isolated areas. So began Volunteers in Action, a ministry that has now led to more than 16,000 baptisms across the South Pacific.

Chris Koelma received the Young Alumnus of the Year award for sharing the universal language through performance and education. The composer and bass guitarist has been heading primary music at schools in Argentina and Malaysia since graduation.

Seven other alumni, one from each of the Homecoming honour years, joined Adele, Cliff and Chris as citation recipients: evangelist and field archaeologist Pr David Down (1944); academic Dr Laurie Draper (1954); missionary Coral Camps (1964); teacher and treasurer Harvey Carlsen (1974); principal Mark Vodell (1984); teacher Anthony Hibbard (1994); and communicator Adele Nash (2004). You can read profiles of the recipients from within the North New South Wales Conference on page 7 of this issue.

Alumni Heritage Day

Homecoming closed on the lawns of “Sunnyside,” the Cooranbong home of Adventist Church pioneer Ellen White. A breakfast preceded a presentation by Ellen G White Seventh-day Adventist Research Centre director Dr John Skrzypaszek, and tours of the house and the South Sea Islands Museum.

—

Brenton Stacey

Citation (1954): Dr Laurie Draper

Dr Laurie Draper’s commitment to education had its origin two generations earlier when his grandfather, George Draper, an “uneducated farmer,” enrolled for a year — 1916 — at the Australasian Missionary College. He brought his children to study at the primary school on campus.

Dr Draper, the third of five generations of Avondale attendees, graduated in 1954, one of the first three from Avondale to complete the external Bachelor of Science degree through the University of London. He would also graduate with a Diploma in Secondary Education. Within five years, Dr Draper was asked to lecture at Avondale in the Department of Science and Mathematics — and he would also graduate with a PhD in chemistry from the University of New South Wales. He became head of the department 10 years later and academic dean three years after that.

Dr Draper’s passion for teaching and for young adults saw him return to the secondary school classroom, first at Avondale High School then, after a stint as head of science and mathematics at Pacific Adventist College, at Kabiufa Seventh-day Adventist High School in Papua New Guinea. The class of 1954 honoured Dr Draper for his commitment to Seventhday Adventist education in the South Pacific, to the ministry of teaching and to the study of science and mathematics

— Bianca Reynaud

Citation (1994): Anthony Hibbard

Mr Hibbard, as Anthony Hibbard is known by students in high school, is a leader whose passion for mathematics and God inspires those around him. Anthony’s taught at three Seventhday Adventist schools since graduation.

He began at Blue Hills College in Lismore, to which he returned in 2012, becoming head of secondary school a year later, then moved to Macquarie College. But his longest tenure has been at Avondale School, where he is now head of the mathematics faculty. “I love my job,” he says. Anthony finds satisfaction from supporting his students “explore how mathematics can help them make sense of their world. It’s one of God’s love languages.”

The class of 1994 honoured Anthony for his commitment to Seventh-day Adventist education and to the ministry of teaching

— Bianca Reynaud

Citation (2004): Adele Nash

Recommendations from family and friends based on enjoyable experiences drew Adele Nash to Avondale College. Adele began creating and sharing news about the Seventhday Adventist Church and the message of hope after graduation, becoming editorial assistant at Signs Publishing Company. She edited The Edge young adult magazine in addition to her responsibilities with the church in the South Pacific’s newsmagazine Record. Adele continues in a publishing role at the church’s North New South Wales Conference, to which she moved in 2010. She began as communication and marketing assistant, and is now communications coordinator.

Sharing good news about local churches and the members of those churches is one of Adele’s passions and a blessing in her life. “It’s important for people to see that Adventists are doing some amazing things, and it often helps inspire others to make positive contributions to the world around them,” she says.

The class of 2004 honoured Adele for the quality of her reporting of Seventh-day Adventist news, particularly for how it inspires others in their faith.

— Bianca Reynaud

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Citation (Alumna of the Year): Adele Rowden-Johnson

Lavinia “Adele” Young was well travelled by the time she arrived at Avondale College. Born in Franklin, Tasmania, she attended primary school in Queensland and high school in Western Australia before moving to Avondale to study accounting. “My parents thought I needed some assistance with numbers,” she recalls. “I still need help, so I married an accountant!”

After leaving Avondale in 1964, Adele found secretarial employment at Sydney Adventist Hospital. In 1970, she and husband John Rowden became missionaries in Fiji — but John would die in a waterskiing accident five years later.

On returning to Australia, Adele worked as a medical secretary at Dora Creek Medical Centre. Earning a teaching certificate in 1987 began a career in technical and further education, a sector in which Adele would work for the next 10 years. She would also study, graduating with a Diploma of Teaching from The University of Newcastle in 1991 and a Bachelor of Counselling from the University of New England in 1996.

Adele married Les Johnson in 1997, the year she had her first contact with what is now Southlakes Refuge. “I was only meant to stay for a short while, then return to TAFE teaching. God had other ideas.” She left teaching to become the managing director of the refuge and now credits the difficult times in her life as good preparation for the position. “My prayer has always been, ‘Please God, don’t allow those experiences to go to waste!’ He never has, and I pray He never will.”

The refuge has been acknowledged for its contribution to community spirit, winning a Southlakes Business Excellence Award in 2002. It also gave Adele other opportunities — she served as a member of the South Pacific Division’s Domestic Violence in Families Taskforce, for example — through which to share the wisdom of her experiences.

The Avondale Alumni Association honours Adele Rowden-Johnson for her dedication in caring for and raising awareness of women and children who are the victims of abuse or domestic violence.

— Sara Thompson

OUR CHURCHES

Healthy outreach at Bray Park

On 19 July, the congregation at Lismore Church enjoyed participating in the baptism of Charlie Tasker. The baptism was conducted jointly by Pastor Horace Evans and Tim Merrit, as they had both led Charlie in Bible studies leading up to her baptism.

Charlie gave a moving testimony, acknowledging that she grew up in a “Sevvy” home, being the daughter of Chris and Meredith Tasker. At a very young age, following the death of her infant sister, she was faced with the dilemma of needing to figure out for herself what she truly believed about God.

Charlie shared with the congregation, “This tragedy changed my life. . . . I had to learn to trust God.” She added that this journey has not been easy and that at times she has really struggled with trusting God in all circumstances.

As a follow up program from Dr John Clark’s “ Health Training and Natural Remedies” and Jenifer Skues’ “Healthy Mind Happy Body” programs held at Bray Park Church, the local community requested cooking demonstrations so they could put what they had learned into practice.

Darlene Sharp and Sherelee Frankland decided on eight different breakfast recipes to demonstrate.

Melanie Pearson did a wonderful job of helping with the preparation of the food, and church members helped with the clean up.

Riana Sharp registered the people as they came, and she put together a lovely display with flowers, candles and serviettes to make everything look very professional.

The morning was a real success, with 26 people attending, and 15 of those being non-Adventists.

One of the neighbours across the road from the church came and asked when the next demonstration would be, as she wanted to invite her friends.

The comments received after the meal were very encouraging, and attendees said they cannot wait ‘til the church holds the next series. The president of the Chamber of Commerce from the council was very impressed, and she asked Darlene if she would go to the schools, food festivals and other programs held in Murwillumbah.

As Darlene has been moved to another location, Sherelee and Donna Tasker are planning on regular demonstrations each month, which started on 2 September. Bray Park Church members really appreciate the work these women have put into teaching the community a more healthful way of life.

— Lois Chilton

However, she stood tall in front of the church members, being able to say with confidence, “I now believe that God loves me, I’m too small to solve my own problems, but I can always trust Him.”

After thanking Pastor Evans and Tim, as well as Sabbath school and Pathfinder leaders, Charlie then gave a beautiful rendition of the song, “Christ Is Enough,” proclaiming, “Christ is enough for me, everything I need is in You.”

Pastor Evans and Tim were very happy to baptise Charlie, with her extended family coming from as far away as Fraser Island to witness it. Lismore’s leading elder Chris Markey officially welcomed Charlie into church membership.

Charlie is already a very active disciple for Jesus, having recently instigated a “Blaze Out” program in which teens and youth minister to their peers.

— Gail Witten

Archaeological adventures at Coffs Harbour

Exciting things have been happening at Coffs Harbour.

Pastor Bob Manners says, “We’ve recently convened an Archaeological Exhibition at the Coffs Harbour Showground from 17 to 31 August under the leadership of Don Sforcina. Members from both Coffs Harbour and Coffs Coast Churches worked together, pooling finances and human resources, in the interests of reaching out to the community.”

There were more than 2000 people who came to visit the exhibition. Pastor Manners says, “This was a planned strategy of providing something for the public without necessarily presenting our distinctive beliefs, but rather to help people realise archaeology supports the credibility of the Bible. Obviously when people are convinced of the Bible, they are more likely to believe what it has to say about the future and God’s plan for people.”

Exhibition attendees were given an invitation to attend “The Last Empire” program, which commenced its run in the same venue on 9 September. Abel Iorgulescu is the presenter for the series, which has a 12-week run on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

— Pastor Bob Manners/NorthPoint Photos courtesy of Don Sforcina

“Christ is enough” for Lismore teen

Flying heart surgeon returns for Avondale School Reunion

More than 100 former students returned to Avondale School on Saturday, 16 August for the 2014 Avondale School Reunion. Classmates spent the whole day in fellowship, reminiscing about the “good old days,” with special guest speaker Archie Steel, a former Science teacher at the school. Former students enjoyed the morning church service, followed by lunch and a guided tour of the school. In the evening, they had the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and catch up with long-lost friends at the reunion dinner.

Dr Don Wilson (M.D. FACS, FRACS, FRCS (Eng) Certified American Board of Thoracic Surgery) (pictured above), who grew up in Cooranbong, returned to Avondale School for the 60th anniversary of his matriculation (HSC).

During the war, local women were co-opted to report details of all aircraft flying over the area. At the close of the war, they were rewarded with a free flight in a Catalina sea plane out of Rathmines Air Force Base. Mrs Wilson (his mother) took her son with her and both enjoyed the flight — especially Don, who managed to line up for a second flight in the cockpit this time. From then on, he would be a pilot! Don’s father Bill served for many years as both Counsellor on the Lake Macquarie Shire and Manager of Sanitarium Health Food Factory at Cooranbong. Don’s parents finally persuaded him that it would be better if he became a doctor first and then added flying. Having graduated from medicine at Sydney University, and having won his Fellowship of Australian College of Surgeons and Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons in UK, his skills were put to good use in heart surgery in the USA.

Finally his lifelong dream of flying was realised, and his first passenger on his first date later became his wife. When his children came of age, they caught the flying bug from their father so the family built their own plane in their garage and all four — plus his wife — obtained flying qualifications. Back in Australia in the early 70s, Don became house surgeon at Sydney Adventist Hospital for a time before returning to USA, where he was involved in ground breaking heart surgery and using aircraft to visit patients in outlying areas.

Now “retired’ he still assists in heart surgery and lectures in Anatomy (in which he excelled at university) in several medical universities, using aircraft to commute. And so a local boy who was inspired to become a flying doctor during a Lake Macquarie flight has realised his dream of long ago, and has always cherished and returns regularly for holidays on Lake Macquarie. From early years at Avondale primary school, three students — Don Wilson, Warren Grubb and Ray Faull — have been a close trio. They have regularly met as adults, with their wives, in California, Australia and elsewhere. They all attended the 2014 Reunion on 16 August as representatives of the 1954 year. Warren has retired as a research scientist at Curtin University and lives in Perth. Ray has retired from a career in education and lives on the Central Coast.

— Kerrie Howells

OUR SCHOOLS

Dare-filled WOSE at CCAS

The last week of August was a Week of Spiritual Emphasis (WOSE) at Central Coast Adventist School (CCAS). A worship band of staff members, past students and current students led students in worship throughout the week.

Brock Goodall spoke to students from Years 5 to 12 for the WOSE program. The theme for the week was “Dare You,” with students challenged to TRY Jesus, to FALL into His arms, to RUN with Him, CRY out to Him and receive the LOVE that God has for them. Brock says, “During this WOSE, we wanted to challenged the kids — or dare them — to get to know Jesus in a real way. We wanted them to know that their God was for them and called them into greater things.”

“The week saw the Holy Spirit move so powerfully that we decided to encourage students to make a commitment on the Thursday instead of waiting until Friday,” says Elia Crevar, Secondary School Chaplain at CCAS. “Students were challenged to try Jesus that week. There is a movement of young people standing as one for Jesus.”

Brock adds, “It’s inspiring to see staff modelling authentic worship and being real in their relationship with God. When we made the call on Thursday, we gave students the opportunity to collect a Promise Scroll. A number of students said that verse they took really spoke to their circumstance.”

— Brenton Luchow

Avondale School celebrates WOW

Avondale School in Cooranbong celebrated a Week Of Worship (WOW) to kick off September. Guest speaker Brock Goodall had secondary students on the edge of their seats as he spoke a message of “No Greater Love,” helping students to understand that Jesus has made a clear path for them to get to Him anytime. Brock’s engaging and energetic presentation style saw him walking all around the audience, standing on seats and making the teachers do crazy things! Students laughed and wondered what he was going to do next to help them remember his message. The student worship team did an amazing job leading the secondary school in praise and worship with a number of the items really touching hearts. It was simply an awesome week!

— Michelle Bof

FEATURES

Road to Bethlehem provides evangelistic opportunities at CCAS

Each December for the past 12 years, Road to Bethlehem has transformed the Central Coast Adventist School campus into a busy, bustling, first-century theatre.

The local Adventist churches and school join forces to launch an event of biblical proportions. Hundreds of people are involved from the drama cast through to stallholders, street vendors, entertainers, technicians and guides.

The drama tour, set across seven distinct scenes, is the real draw card of this event. The nativity story is presented with a firm biblical foundation, but interpreted in a fresh way. It is this element that draws significantly more than 4500 people each year. The conclusion of the drama tour is intentionally designed, and planned to provide an opportunity for the public to spend time in a space set up for prayer and contemplation. Adventist church pastors and lay leaders are in this area to answer questions about our faith’s distinctive aspects, and pray with the many visitors who seek time with God at the conclusion of the drama tour.

This important part of the tour provides an opportunity to share the message of Jesus in an engaging, personal and authentically Adventist way.

The Road to Bethlehem partnership allows resources to be combined to present an event on a scale that would be challenging for a single entity. The event also presents a united front to those who attend the event and allows people to ask questions and talk about the true Christmas story.

Put simply, Road to Bethlehem is our gift to the Central Coast community. Road to Bethlehem provides an opportunity for the Central Coast community to see, experience and begin to know the Jesus that the Adventist churches and Central Coast Adventist School know — and love.

— Brenton Luchow

Visit <www.RoadToBethlehem.info> for further details about Road to Bethlehem on the Central Coast. Central Coast Adventist School is a P-12, non-selective, coeducational school with an enrolment of more than 900 students. The school has been providing quality Christian education on the Central Coast since 1969. You can find out more about Central Coast Adventist School online <www.ccas.nsw.edu.au>.

ADRA CEO to join $1 million charity ride

Despite not owning a “real” bike, Mark Webster, CEO of ADRA Australia, has committed to riding alongside supporters in the 2015 Great Ocean Road ride.

“I’m not really a cyclist, but I’m a big believer in doing whatever we can to help people experience life as it was meant to be,” said Mark. “I also believe it’s important to genuinely thank our supporters whenever I can. That’s why I’ll be puffing it out alongside 120 others cycling the Great Ocean Road next year.”

The ride, organised by not-for-profit 25000spins, is also set to break the $1 million mark for funds raised through the organisation’s charity cycling events.

“I lived an incredibly blessed life,” said Craig Shipton, the man behind 25000spins. “When I look at poverty around the world — and particularly the 17 kids who die every minute as a result — I feel compelled to act. Organising these cycling events is my way of using my skills and interests to make the world a better place.”

“Last year, ADRA riders raised more than $100,000 for our work improving people’s access to sustainable food sources,” said Mark. “This coming year, we’ll be riding in support of malnourished kids in Indonesia — and the work ADRA is doing to ensure they have opportunities to thrive.”

ADRA’s INSTINCT project is working with parents, care-givers and local health services to improve the nutrition of more than 20,000 malnourished children in Indonesia’s remote east.

In addition to the Great Ocean Road ride (February 2015), fundraising rides for ADRA Australia also include the Queenstown Classic (March), London to Paris (July — coincides with Tour de France) and Swiss Adventure (July). Registrations are now open and the limited spaces filling fast. Visit <www.25000spins.com> to sign up and support ADRA’s work in Indonesia.

— Braden Blyde

James, jazz and Jesus: HIStory

Reunion to see James Morrison re-imagine timeless Gospel stories

James Morrison and brother John will join a former collaborator and two Avondale ensembles in concert to perform songs they first played 30 years ago.

Jesus: HIStory will reunite the multi-instrumentalist and the jazz drummer with friend David Pudney, a double bassist who is now director of Avondale College of Higher Education’s jazz ensemble. The reunion has its roots in a recording of unpublished pieces David and father-in-law Pastor Neil Gough composed in the 1980s for their local church, Kerugma Christian Fellowship, of which the Morrisons were founding members.

“We performed the songs to a small, but enthusiastic audience then left the songs on the shelf as more inspiration led to the writing of other songs,” says David. He tailored the music for James, whose prowess even then had contributed to a growing reputation as a virtuoso. “We counted ourselves fortunate to have his talents available in our church, but he was just one of the guys.”

The music, and the fellowship, meant a lot to James. He describes Kerugma as an “amazing upbringing” where “we were always learning and growing. I’ve been blessed to have such a nurturing place to start my musical journey.”

James’ Kerugma experience included performing the songs now recorded by Avondale vocal ensemble The Promise and Avondale Jazz Ensemble on the album Jesus: HIStory. The gospel-inspired, jazz-flavoured one-hour musical narrative reimagines the timeless stories of the Gospels.

David originally conceived the songs as solos to be sung by Neil’s church members, “most of whom were willing amateurs.”

His re-write for The Promise adds up to eight-part harmonies. “The ensemble enabled me to expand the songs harmonically and, in conjunction with Avondale Jazz Ensemble, breathe new life into the material.”

The concert will reconnect James and John with the songs. “On one hand, I feel more affinity with the older repertoire because I grew up with it—and musically, it’s quite different,” says James. “On the other hand, I still feel the ‘reason’ for the music is the same. . . . It speaks to a fundamental part of you, more to do with the soul rather than the mind.”

David is looking forward to performing again with his mates. “It’ll be like putting an old pair of shoes on, but it will also be a joy to hear how James and John respond to the feeling and the passion The Promise bring to this music.”

— Bianca Reynaud

James Morrison and The Promise: Jesus: HIStory, Wallsend Seventh-day Adventist Church (182 Lake Road, Elermore Vale NSW 2287), Sunday, 19 October at 6.00pm. Also featuring: David Pudney, John Morrison and Avondale Jazz Ensemble. Tickets from $40. Book at <www.avondale.edu.au/events>.

FEATURES

Amelia Magazine playtime together: Wooden spoon doll

As a mother or grandmother, what are some of your most cherished childhood play memories? For most, it would have involved some type of role-playing, be it with a favourite doll, a tea set or playing dress-ups. These are great memories to share with our daughters/ granddaughters, and these moments might just be an opportunity to pull a treasure out of your cupboard! I still remember my mother showing me her favourite doll (which she still has) and sharing her play-times with me.

While still seen as a typically “girly” activity, playing with dolls is also very important in a young girl’s positive development. Through this she learns social skills, such as care and kindness toward others, what positive relationships are like, how to put into practice Christian values and role-playing the female rolemodels in her life.

She is able to explore the qualities and characteristics she sees in the important women in her life. And we now recognise the great spiritual influence mothers have in their child’s spiritual development.

To connect with your daughter/granddaughter through playing with dolls, why not try making your own? A wooden spoon doll is so easy to make, offers a chance to spend time together and allows her to explore her God-given creativity — and you might even want to make one with her too!

To make a wooden spoon doll:

• Find a simple, cheap wooden spoon (it may be one you have decided is no longer suitable for cooking with)

• Wear old clothes and cover your work space with newspaper

• Cover the spoon with a flesh-coloured paint

• Paint on a face and hair (hair could also be wool glued on use craft glue) — try not to stress about mess and imperfections

• Dress with fabric scraps, an old lacy handkerchief, doily, ribbons, buttons and lace

Enjoy playing with your daughter/granddaughter and her doll — after all, one of the precious gifts God has given us through our children is the chance to relax and play too! Interacting in your daughter’s play allows you to share how Jesus would like us to live and the values you would like her to develop.

— Michelle Villis

Ideas are courtesy of Amelia Magazine Amelia is a magazine created by a Christian mum for young girls aged six to 12 years. The magazine is about craft, cooking, friendship, Bible stories, reviews and even a paper doll! Check out <ameliamagazine.blogspot.com.au> to subscribe to the magazine and enjoy many more creative ideas (more detailed instructions and face template available too).

Amelia Magazine is also on Facebook — connect via <www.facebook.com/ pages/Amelia-Magazine/597466157033693?fref=ts>.