NorthPoint - December, 2015

Commemoration of Ellen White’s life at Avondale Memorial

as in numerous books and papers.

Dr Hammond says of Ellen and her life, “I believe that it was important to present the human side of a person with extraordinary responsibilities and a wonderful message. She loved living in Australia and would have been happy to stay here. We are privileged to have so much history around us, and it is important that we garner what bits have yet to be published and documented.”

Over the weekend of 23 to 25 October, Avondale Memorial Church hosted a series of seminars to commemorate the life and work of Ellen White (1827–1915). Under the title of “Ellen G White: One Hundred Years On,” Avondale Memorial joined other centres around the world in honouring the life, writings, experience and influence of one of the most prominent founding members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

At Memorial, four seminars were presented over the weekend: Dr John Hammond spoke on the Friday night on Ellen’s experience and influence in Australia; Dr Allan Lindsay and Pastor Ross Goldstone gave presentations on the Sabbath afternoon on how to read and understand a 19th Century prophet in 2015, and Ellen’s experiences in New Zealand respectively; and the final presentation was given by Dr John Skrzypaszek, Director of the Ellen White Research Centre at Avondale College, at Sunnyside. Sunnyside was the home of Ellen when she lived in Cooranbong in the 1890s, and Dr Skrzypaszek spoke about the impact she had on the Adventist Church.

All of the presenters were experienced, interesting speakers who had lectured or authored books and papers on the life of Ellen. Their presentations were all wellattended, with the combined attendance for the weekend exceeding 700 people — including some from the local community. On the Sunday morning, a family who live next door to Sunnyside joined the celebrations. There were also attendees present from other Adventist churches in the Cooranbong area and beyond — including some who came from Queensland for the weekend.

An interesting visual feature of the weekend was the writing desk used by Ellen when she was in Australia (pictured top right with Dr Lindsay, Pastor Goldstone and Dr Hammond). This desk was supplied by the Pascoe family and brought along by Pastor Daron Pratt, Director of Children’s and Family Ministries for the North New South Wales Conference. The desk was a reminder of the extensive writings of Ellen. Her legacy lives on in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well

In being asked to speak about her life in Australia, Dr Hammond notes that there has already been much documented about it. “I decided to dig into her personal life by looking at unpublished documents from her time here,” he says. “These were in the form of her diaries, journal, many letters and correspondence, and reminiscences of those who knew her here in Australia. The opportunity thus presented itself to adopt a narrative with human interest that would intrigue people. They are more likely to remember that.”

He was able to remember conversations with people who have passed away who recalled stories about her, as well as sourcing original family archives of people who (Continued on page 3)

Page 2: From the President: Paris, France

Pages 3: Safe Places Training held around NNSW Conference

Pages 7: “Sunday for Summer” shines brightly in Kingscliff

In this issue: Big Camp 2016 application forms

OUR CONFERENCE

From the President: Paris, France

I, like you, have been shocked and horrified by recent events in Paris. What would possess someone to want to go around shooting strangers and then blow themselves up? It seems so barbaric and evil that it’s hard to believe that it’s really happened. But, of course, these events are becoming common occurrences in many parts of the world. Our hearts, thoughts and sympathies go out to the people of Paris — as well as to all those impacted by similar horrific events committed by terrorists in other countries around the world, including Kenya, Nigeria, Lebanon and Mali. We all wait with bated breath, wondering where and when the next attack will come.

There is one thing that all these murderous Islamic terrorist cells have in common, no matter where they strike — they have come under the influence of leaders who teach the fundamentalist Wahhabi strain of the Sunni branch of Islam. We know the world is going to become more fundamentalist because of what the Bible has predicted in Revelation 13, but there is another important lesson for us in this: what is taught in our own churches, and what we accept and believe, will ultimately define who we are.

We preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the shadow of His return to the world for a second time. We must be vigilant against seemingly harmless heresies that depart from the clear teachings of the Bible. There is no such thing as a harmless heresy.

What you believe defines who you are and how you behave.

Reading the Bible every day and trusting in God in prayer makes me a kinder, more compassionate person. Understanding the Gospel and my own weakness makes me more encouraging to those who are struggling. My understanding of Bible prophecy gives me great confidence for the future as the world becomes increasingly confused. The Ten Commandments give me a standard of behaviour that is universal to all mankind. The truth about death has a massive impact on my life every day and how I treat my body. Jesus’ work of intercession for me in heaven reminds me that I am never alone.

Let’s be faithful to the whole counsel of God, and not diminish the Bible’s influence in our churches and in our own lives. I believe the greatest threat to the Adventist Church’s teachings today is not Wahhabi-inspired Islamic terrorists, but just secular disbelief in the plain teachings of the Bible. Hebrews 10:23 tells us, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;).” I pray that you never lose your faith — or the desire to profess it.

May God bless you and your family as you enjoy the Christmas holiday time. Don’t forget to take the opportunity to draw close to God and those you love. Thank you for your support this year.

— Pastor Justin Lawman

Around The Traps is a regular e-newsletter from Pastor Justin Lawman. It features a devotional and news from the conference. To subscribe, fill out the form at <http://nnsw.adventist.org.au/around-the-traps>

CFO Report: November 2015

Surplus improving

The North New South Wales Conference financial results for the church company for September 2015 are showing a surplus after interest of $483,000, which is a significant improvement when compared with 2014 (see five-year trend chart below, left):

Tithe steady

This year, the month-bymonth tithe received has been reasonably flat, except for the month of June, where we received a significant tithe contribution from a deceased estate (see 12-month tithe trend chart below, right):

Expenditure under budget

Expenditure of tithe is tracking around $100,000 under budget in 2015 thanks to an ongoing regime of cost-cutting initiatives. The breakup of how tithe is being spent this year appears in the chart below:

We are expecting expenditure on evangelism to increase as we approach the end of 2015, as churches wrap up their evangelist programs and send in their claims.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our faithful church members for returning their tithes to the storehouse so that the church can continue in its mission to give as many people as possible an opportunity to hear God’s message. May God bless you as you continue to serve Him.

— Russell Halliday

Safe Places Training held around NNSW Conference

Lakeside Adventist Church was the first church in the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference to undertake Safe Places Training in 2011, and it was also the first to hold a retraining seminar this year on 4 November. At the retraining seminar, attendees were given an updated Safe Places manual and went through workshops with Pastor Daron Pratt, Children’s and Family Ministries Director for the NNSW Conference.

In the time since the training series began, Pastor Pratt has spent countless hours training church members around NNSW how to make their churches safer places. Pastor Justin Lawman, President of the NNSW Conference, says, “Daron has been tireless in his dedication to sharing information about making our churches safer places for everyone — but particularly children.”

Pastor Pratt and Pastor Peter Cousins went to facilitator training in 2011, and received accreditation and endorsement to run Safe Church Training Agreement workshops. The NNSW Conference Executive adopted the training manual and requested that the training be rolled out to all churches in the four years to 2015. The training is strongly recommended for everyone involved in leadership, but particularly for those who work with children.

In that time, Pastor Pratt says that 1200 people have undertaken Safe Places Training. Certificates are sent to each church to record the names of those who have taken part in the training, and a record is kept at the NNSW Conference office of them too.

“The past five years have seen a cultural change around our conference,” says Pastor Pratt. “There’s a move toward safe places where great ministry can occur. In the past few months, there have been an increasing number of people attending training. We had around 50 people at both College Church and Boolaroo recently, and with 96 people at the training at Port Macquarie in November, it was the biggest training event that’s been held yet. Culture is changing and people are more aware of safety. If this training helps to protect only one child from abuse, it’s all been absolutely worth it.”

There are a number of significant changes to laws regarding mandatory reporting, as well as workplace health and safety, which are now covered by the updated training. Pastor Pratt says, “Next year, the refresher course will be rolled out around the conference. We’re moving toward a stage where it will be required for all those who are in leadership and work with children.”

— Adele Nash

OUR CHURCHES

Commemoration of Ellen White’s life at Avondale Memorial

(Continued from page 1)

knew and interacted with Ellen. “The Thomson family in particular were very helpful,” notes Dr Hammond. “I was able to take occurrences in Mrs White’s time in Australia, and match them with events happening in Australia and overseas. I refer to the comments she made when she observed huge crowds in their way to a cricket match and then it was a matter of tracking down which match it was. It turned out to be the December 1894 Test between Australia and England. I was also able to track back the story of the Wessel family in South Africa and the discovery of the Premier diamond mine. It was their generosity that greatly assisted the building Avondale College and the Village Church.”

The Ellen White Centre and Heritage Centre were both very helpful in tracking and providing documents. “Marian de Berg was particularly helpful in providing access to documents and photos,” says Dr Hammond. Marian has a yet-to-be-published book on the personal experiences of Ellen in Australia.

The official celebration to mark the centenary was organised by the General Conference and was held on 16 July by church officers at Elmshaven in California. DVDs of the seminars from the commemorative weekend conducted by Avondale Memorial Church are available from the church office — they can be ordered by calling (02) 4977 1251.

— Lionel Hughes/NorthPoint

STORM Co service brings changes

Brewarrina is a long way from Toronto, but that didn’t stop a busload of young people driving there during the September school holidays for a STORM Co trip.

They were led by thirdyear theology student Jack Ryder, who is the teen/youth leader for the Toronto Church. The young people gathered for worship each morning and then put on a program for the children of the town. It was tough going at first, as some of the kids were fairly wild youngsters.

Jack caught one young man as he was racing out of the hall and found one of the group’s mobile phones in his pocket! But by the end of the week, that young man was hanging around the group, loving being with them and asking how he could help them.

“It’s exciting,” says Jack. “It’s great to see the change in the kids we minister to, and it’s great to see the change in our own young people as they realise that service to others does make a huge difference and really does matter.”

Each day after a hectic morning, the youth would spend the afternoon car washing, window washing, doing yard work and generally helping in the community. The Toronto group came home exhausted, but happy. Even though some of them had their HSC exams starting soon after their return, they were glad they could serve God in that remote community.

— Michelle Ward

OUR CHURCHES

God’s love in action at Muswellbrook school holiday program

During the September school holidays Muswellbrook Church members — along with invitees Matt and Heidi Tompson from Lakeside Church — ran a vibrant Holiday Fun program themed “G-Force — looking at God’s love in action.” The church hall was appropriately decorated with actionpacked visuals.

On the first day, 28 children between the ages of six and 12 found themselves caught up in the antics of Checkers Cheetah and Coach as they introduced the themes and program for the day.

Heidi and Matt led out, along with the fun music videos as the children did movements to the new songs. Faith Fuel Bible Time was a key feature, with the back third of the church set up for crossing the Red Sea, the valley where David met Goliath or the getaway ship with Jonah at sea. These stories, along with feeding the 5000 and the resurrection morning, fitted into the themes of move, act, care, follow and share.

Pastor Daron Pratt, Children’s Ministries Director for the North New South Wales Conference, came along one morning, and enthralled the children with his illustration of the loaves and fishes story through balloon art. Crafts, games and fun foods also followed the main themes.

An extra feature with Ken and Nathan Adamthwaite was the Pinnacle Challenge, with youngsters climbing to daring heights, walking tight ropes and climbing the rock wall,

which proved to be real confidence-boosters. Some of the children who also attended last year were so excited to come again.

It is so rewarding to see them growing in their desire to follow Jesus and trust Him with their own personal struggles. Special thanks go to all the team who helped, and especially to Shirley and Peter Easthope who organised the program so proficiently.

Ruth Stilinovic

Coonamble VBS a faith shaper experience for all involved

I’m lying in my sleeping bag at the Coonamble show grounds. It’s 5.45am. I’m thinking about what a blessed week I’ve just experienced — a week where all seven faith shaper experiences came to life for me and my four boys aged five, seven, nine and 11.

It had been one of those “I-really-should-say-yes” decisions to join the Lakeside Seventh-day Adventist Church Vacation Bible School (VBS) and STORM Co team during the Term 3 school holidays. My friends, Steve and Tammy Bennett, led the VBS, their seventh in three years. Dr Andy Matthes, one of the elders of our church, and his wife Robyn coordinated the STORM Co.

My reticence to give up my time soon dissipated with my own children’s excitement and anticipation of joining more than 20 of their friends on a trip out to the wild west. The theme: “Gold Rush.” Perfect for the setting. The song “Rock of Ages” (no, not the hymn) resounded the whole week through. The 30 or so children from Coonamble who attended — and, of course, our own children — benefited from participating in the songs, craft, activities and lessons.

I realise this VBS and STORM Co cover every aspect of faith shapers, a set of experiences from birth to 18 years created by the Children’s Ministries Departments of the South Pacific Division and Australian conferences. These experiences — service, homes empowered, authentic relationships, participation, intergenerational connections, noteworthy memory events and God encounters — should determine how all departments do ministry. As we ate meals, mowed lawns, rehearsed programs, swam in the pool and washed dishes together, friendships and faith grew.

My “I-really-should-say-yes” attitude has now changed to a “Can-you-ask-me-tocome-too?” What a privilege to share Jesus in such a fun way with the whole family.

— Kylie Stacey

Baptism at Armidale

OUR CHURCHES

Lakeside Church celebrates two baptisms

On 12 September 2015, Michael Stuart, a Year 12 student from Armidale High, stepped forward to make a stand for Jesus and was baptised in the Armidale Seventh-day Adventist Church, with Pastor Lorenzo Berry officiating.

The church was blessed with a larger-than-usual congregation. In attendance were Pathfinders from the Northern Tablelands Pathfinder Club and Pathfinders Out West Club, of which Michael is a member. Dressed in their uniforms, both clubs formed a guard of honour at the completion of the service. Also in attendance were Christian classmates from school and St Mark’s Youth Group (SMYG) leaders, of which Michael also assists in a leadership role. One of Michael’s sisters, Rochelle, travelled up from Avondale College with a friend, especially for the occasion. Another older Christian friend was also in attendance.

Music for the service was provided by Michael’s mother Marilyn on piano, Rochelle on djembe, and Tim, a school friend, who played guitar. Michael chose his favourite songs for the service.

After the sermon, which had the title of “What Just Happened” and was based on the story of the Ethiopian and Philip, Michael read Psalm 22, explaining why it is his favourite passage of scripture.

Through sharing, Marilyn linked the intentional planning of naming Michael, his dedication song and spiritual journey ahead. Her expressed desire through these links made was for Michael to “continue growing into a man who has a heart like God’s.” Bruce, Michael’s father, offered a dedicatory prayer. Rochelle and her friend Axel followed, singing “Jesus is the Sweetest Name of All.”

Bruce and Marilyn Stuart

Big questions and baptism for Madison

”Will God allow our pets to go to heaven with us?” That and many others were the questions that Maddison Riff asked over a period of about six months when she and Hillview Church’s Pastor Fred Chileshe studied the Bible together. Those sorts of questions also pretty much summed up Maddison’s faith in the crucified, risen and soonreturning Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Having given her life to Jesus at the tender age of 11, she epitomised the Ecclesiastes 12:1 ideal: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”

Each week at 4.00pm on Monday, Maddison would open the door and welcome Pastor Chileshe in with a joy that he said “sometimes made me feel like I was

Sabbath, 10 October was a special day at Lakeside Church when two people committed their lives to the Lord in baptism. Tim Watson, a young teenager, was baptised. Tim made his decision after witnessing the baptism of a friend last year. He asked for studies and Pastor Peter Watts has undertaken them with him all this year.

Rebekah Wade was rebaptised on the same day. She was originally baptised as a teenager, but didn’t really have an experience with the Lord. She drifted along, often not very close to the Lord. However, she found that when she asked the Lord for guidance and help, He always came through. At first she asked Pastor Watts for a private ceremony, but then realised that baptism is a public declaration of faith, so decided to be baptised during the church service.

— Pam Hill

Santa bringing some candies and goodies!”

He adds, “And she enjoyed opening the Bible to read with glee the texts that I called out. I would then explain. She believed the Word and had so much joy in the Lord that she wanted everyone to be a part of the Jesus crew, especially those of her immediate family. So on 3 October, her family came to Hillview to see her baptised into Christ and His Church. Her dad Ashley Drew and her paternal grandma Karen Drew were her biggest pleasant surprise of the day, as all along she was made to believe that they wouldn’t be able to come from Queensland. And there they were! Her maternal grandparents Sune and Floss Riff, who are members at Hillview; her mother Alethia Riff; uncles, some of them from as far as Mackay in Queensland; and several other family members and friends from far and near joined the Hillview Church crowd that saw Maddison get baptised.”

In making an appeal from the baptismal font immediately after the baptism, Pastor Chileshe made a call to other young people who had not yet made the decision to be baptised. Quoting a phrase in popular youth culture he said, “Just do it!” Immediately, two other young people made the decision to be baptised and they are now preparing for their own baptisms early in the next year. To God be the glory!

— Pastor Fred Chileshe/NorthPoint

OUR CHURCHES

NNSW church members at the heart of Quit-Now resurgence

Some members of churches in the North New South Wales Conference have been at the heart of the resurgence QuitNow stop smoking program, this incredibly successful program was stirred up because of the desperate need in Indonesia. Quit-Now has been around for more than 50 years, and has helped thousands of people not just give up smoking, but starting them on the road for good health and well-being.

On 27 July, 2015 the HELP Indonesian Foundation (a partner of Asian Aid) Quit-Now stop smoking team consisting of Dr Adrian Smith, nurse David Livingstone, HELP Director Paul Bennetts, along with our Indonesian team, started two weeks of QuitNow stop-smoking training programs in Indonesia. This is the fourth program that HELP Indonesian foundation has conducted in Asia.

Here are some facts:

• 61 million tobacco users in Indonesia

• 70 per cent of men aged 20 and over smoke

• Average starting age just seven years of age, down from 19 in 10 years

• Two per cent of Indonesian boys start smoking age four

• One quarter of annual deaths in Indonesia 425,000 people are smoking- related

These training programs are being conducted for hospitals, government health departments, schools and local communities.

In one Muslim school where the HELP foundation conducted a school presentation, the principal and the headmaster gave up on the spot and basically admitted they never knew this material! “No one has ever told us!” they said. This fairly large school is down to just one teacher who still smokes.

In an official government presentation to administrators who are representative of a province of 64 million people, the Quit-Now program is being considered as the program of choice for the standardisation of training for education and the cessation of smoking in this province.

Daily smoking expenses in Indonesia come in at number two after food for a poorer family, so smoking addictions keep the quality of life low for these families — children cannot attend school because lack of funds and so the chain of poverty continues.

The universal principles and values that are taught in the Quit-Now stop smoking program is central to the success of this program. This program is far deeper than just dealing with the scourge of addiction to nicotine — it actually leads the participants to understanding a far higher platform of commitment to the values of heaven.

Paul Bennetts

Rejection therapy success for ARISE students

Joseph Kim (pictured, left) and Nick Kim (pictured, below right) are ARISE students who are working as Bible workers this year. They recently had some success with a surprising technique — rejection therapy!

Joseph says, “During one of our classes at ARISE, Nathan Renner mentioned something to us about this outrageous thing called rejection therapy. One guy was sick of getting rejected all the time so he decided to ask random people the most bizarre requests like, ‘Can you do my laundry?’ or, ‘Can you shop for me?’ Requests that would put a confused look on anyone’s face without a doubt.

“Funny thing is, it worked for him! It also worked for Nathan in successfully getting the girl of his dreams, who he is now happily married to. One day Nick and I were sick and tired of getting rejected on the doors of outreach for Bible studies, so Nick suggested that we try rejection therapy since we weren’t having any success. We were debating who would go first and unfortunately (or fortunately) I drew the short straw. We were scanning around to see who we could try this method on and we noticed a woman across the street unloading her car.

“We approached her and while she seemed to be in mid-conversation with someone on the phone, I blurted out with no second thought, ‘Would you like a Bible study?’ To our surprise, she quickly replied, “Yes, yes, yes! Just let me hang up the phone.’ It worked! We were so shocked, surprised and happy! We found it so hilarious that it actually worked we couldn’t hold in our laughter. What we thought was going to turn into an utter rejection turned out to be a blessing of opportunity!

“Today she is still keenly studying the Bible on a weekly basis with ARISE graduate Karyn Platt, who was my outreach partner. I have been told that she is loving Bible studies and has come a long way. She is truly changing as she beholds His love for her.

“After our success story, we told our fellow ARISE peers and, soon enough, everyone was having success getting Bible studies with rejection therapy! There are many lost souls out there who are waiting for an invitation. If all else fails to bring up spiritual topics in a conversation, say a short prayer and try rejection therapy! Who knows, it could be a way to lead someone into His kingdom.”

— Joseph Kim

“Sunday for Summer” shines brightly in Kingscliff

When members of Kingscliff Church came together on Sunday, 25 October to run a fundraiser for 38-year-old wife and mother-of-two Summer Lockley, their collective efforts touched not only the church family, but also the local community.

Members organised and promoted the “Sunday for Summer” fundraiser as being “a great day out for the whole family,” with one aim: to help cover the costs of Summer’s cancer treatment.

There were secondhand wares and clothing for sale, a car wash, jumping castle, face painting and a variety of food stalls. It was estimated that 300 people attended, and enthusiastic volunteers of all ages helped make the day a great success. A visiting community member commented, “What a wonderful community of people. Thank you one and all for the tremendous act of love . . . We were delighted to spend time in your presence.”

Close to $11,000 was raised on the day, with donations also pouring in from family and friends, many who heard about the event through Facebook. To date, $24,000 has been raised, and more monies have been pledged. Leftover donated clothing and items in the “pop-up op shop” were given to a charity shop in Mullumbimby, which was set up by another Kingscliff Church member, Carole Platt, to fund various projects in Africa.

— Megan Johnson

OUR CHURCHES

The story behind “Sunday for Summer”

In August 2014, Summer Lockley was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) — a contained, non-invasive form of cancer in the milk ducts. After the diagnosis, Summer researched her options, while focusing on boosting her immune system and reducing the stress in her life. “As a result, overall I am actually much healthier that I was pre-diagnosis! It’s wonderful!” she exclaimed.

However, a few months ago, results of specialised blood testing indicated that it was time to take a more aggressive approach: “Over the past year, I had learnt a lot about hyperthermic oncology (using heat to kill cancer cells) and after discussing it with my health professionals here, I became convinced that this would be a logical next step for me,” Summer says.

Hyperthermia treatment is available in Australia, but not in the same capacity as in Europe, where a variety of non-invasive therapies are offered to complement the treatment.

Karyn North, member of Kingscliff Church and one of the organisers behind “Sunday for Summer,” knew that Summer’s cancer treatment would place a huge financial strain on the Lockley family, particularly because Damien Lockley’s work was uncertain beyond his current contract.

“We have generous people in our church and we could have gone straight to them, but the idea of inviting our church family and the local community to get behind this cause just seemed the way to go,” Karyn said. “Karl Taaffe, one of the elders, suggested a big garage sale. So we grabbed that idea and ran with it.”

Karyn has the following advice for anyone considering running a community fundraiser: “If God places an idea on your heart to help people in need, commit the idea to Him and get busy making it happen. Don’t attach any evangelism agenda to it, just open the gates of your church and let the community see ‘love in action.’ When they see that you love people, they may be more interested in finding out about the God that you love.”

Summer spent most of November in a private medical clinic in the south of Germany. Her treatment is being followed up with a two-month at home program, and she is in regular contact with her doctor in Germany.

In response to the fundraising efforts of her church family, Summer made this statement: “I don’t really have any emotional capacity to comprehend what was done for us, especially considering that we didn’t even ask for help! Our loving and perceptive church family just recognised the strains of our situation and took some huge steps to ease them.

“I find myself uttering the usual clichés in thanks, because there literally are no words. It is an absolute blessing to be a part of a community that puts God’s love into action, becoming the hands and feet of Jesus. It was evident also to our family and friends who came on the day. Most had never been to our church before and several were moved to tears upon witnessing what was being done for us. What a testimony!

“Now I understand why people who are helped during hardship say that it brings out the best in those around you. Our family is experiencing this firsthand and we are so grateful.”

— Megan Johnson

Summer Lockley with husband Damien and their two sons, Jaydon (6) and Timothy (4). Photo courtesy of A Little Peace Photography

The idea of holding a garage sale-style fundraiser came to Karl Taaffe, one of Kingscliff’s elders

OUR SCHOOLS

Avondale School students fasttracking to careers

Vocational Education Training (VET) courses offer real-life, practical learning opportunities both at school and in the workplace, following pathways that lead students on to receiving nationally-recognised Certificate qualifications.

Completion of a VET course is an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable experience in workplaces while still at school and studying for the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Avondale School VET students develop employability skills in the familiarity of their school campus environment, allowing them to stay engaged with their school, peers and the community.

Graduating Year 12 Avondale School student Zoe Simonsen opted for this vocational pathway and has recently graduated with a Certificate III in Nursing, thanks to completing the VET program.

Zoe chose to kick-start her career by following her dreams of a vocation in nursing and, with the encouragement of Avondale School VET Program Coordinator Donna Nevell, she will begin clinical work placement at Gosford Hospital three days after sitting her final exam for the HSC.

Supervised clinical placements in acute-care settings in local hospitals form part of the course requirements and give VET students the opportunity to experience firsthand what it’s like to work in a health care facility.

Completion of the course may provide a rewarding career in itself, or students may wish to build on their qualification to undertake further education and training so they can specialise in one of the many available health careers.

”I have always wanted to be a nurse, from as early on as I can remember. The opportunity Avondale School and the VET program have given me to kick-start this journey has been sensational. I have loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to start my work placement at Gosford Hospital straight after the HSC. It’s all getting very real now!” said Zoe.

Donna says, “The VET program offered at Avondale School delivers to Year 11 and 12 students, opportunities for career pathways, otherwise delayed to them through normal education channels. We are able to fast track their education in their desired career choice through TAFE and other educational intuitions study programs, with nationally recognised outcomes.”

— Kerrie Howells

Macquarie College remembers

On Wednesday, 11 November, both the Junior and Senior Schools at Macquarie College held ceremonies to recognise the anniversary of the end of World War I in 1918. The Remembrance Day activities also encouraged students to remember all those who have died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts since. They have paid the price for our peace, and this year, Macquarie College remembered them in their Chapel programs with poems, videos and presentations that highlighted the importance of remembering the sacrifices of the past.

The presenter for the day was Lia Ross. She is a long-time member of the Macquarie College family who serves in the armed forces. She showed students a personal glimpse into the realities of those who represent and fight for our country. Leaders from both the Junior and Senior Schools represented the college at the local Wallsend Remembrance Day service. The Advanced Vocal group performed the poignant hymn “Abide With Me” and the student leaders laid tributes in honour of the fallen.

— Macquarie College Newsletter

Growing green for the environment

Avondale School’s Toronto Campus students were really busy with the garden program in Spring. The rain and the early warm weather meant that the delighted student teams have harvested fresh produce (cabbage, broccoli and carrots) from their amazing garden. Lots of great environmental learning happens with the skilled guidance of volunteer mentor Lyle Drury.

Toronto Campus Co-ordinator

Charmony Dias says, “Students from Avondale School Toronto Campus enjoy the hands-on experience of ‘growing green’ for the environment. The students learn to use their senses to explore and observe the world of living things (plants and insects) found in their school garden. Through these hands-on activities, students investigate the needs of living things and come to understand how their needs are met. The students also learn from seeing something emerge and growing from seed, and get to understand and enjoy the whole cycle of plants and food.”

Charmony adds, “It’s all about growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing, which really gives the students an idea where the food is coming from, what time of year it grows and how it tastes when you pick it yourself. The joy of actually picking produce, eating it and sharing it is equally important as growing it.”

— Kerrie Howells

OUR SCHOOLS

Junior journos at Toronto

Students at the Toronto Campus of Avondale School are meeting the outcomes of the Australian Board of Studies curriculum in a creative and innovative way. Every student in the Year 3–6 class is involved in producing the school news program, entitled Toronto Campus News (TCN), which airs on the Avondale School website, at the local Toronto Campus Church and at school for special events like Open Day. Each student has several responsibilities, which contribute to the production of the campus news. These responsibilities range from scriptwriter, reporter, news anchor, communications director, stage manager, camera operator, wardrobe assistant, teleprompter operator, sound technician and movie editing assistant (using Final Cut Pro). Students must first apply for their choice of job in writing. When applying for the job, they must include a phone number for a referee and some students compile a resume for the occasion.

Collaboration is a key element in the TCN program. The students are an integral part of a team. They nominate news stories for the next edition of the news and give reasons why the story they suggest should be included. As a group, they select which stories to include, and in which order they will appear in the program. Once news stories are assigned, students write their scripts after liaising with the teacher. They then type their script into the TCN running sheet online in a Google Drive document. This gives the whole class the ability to add their segment to the running sheet at the same time. iPads are used both for typing news scripts and behind the camera as part of the teleprompter.

Under the direction of the stage manager, students use a green screen to create a virtual newsroom. The lighting team manage four soft box lights, caring for safety of loose cords as part of their mandate. The sound engineer records the sound for each clip, which gives a clearer sound than the camera alone, something the team identified as a need to improve as part of their evaluations.

Once an edition of the news is broadcasted, the students evaluate their work and make suggestions for the next edition. As part of this evaluation process, students

desired to be paid for their jobs. As a result, a whole new area of learning has been developed to include TCN dollars. Students are only paid if they have worked for the week (sick pay is available), and they must pay tax at the rate of 20 per cent, tithe at 10 per cent and rent on their office space.

Excitement is often buzzing in the newsroom as students rehearse their lines, waiting for their interviewee to arrive. The communications director makes the necessary phone calls to line up the various guest speakers. With clipboard and sticky notes in hand, he liaises with the teacher and guest speaker to negotiate a suitable appointment time for the interview. One of the advantages of a small school is that all students are actively involved. Everyone is a vital part of the team. Even Year 3 students are expected to step up to the line — and they do. It is rewarding to see the older students mentoring their younger classmates.

Recently the TCN Team had the privilege of visiting the NBN studio in Newcastle. They were encouraged to demonstrate their knowledge of news skills to popular NBN news reader Paul Lobb and the entire team at NBN. The students witnessed firsthand television news in the making.

“The opportunity to do this for Toronto students is unique. And while all this hard, creative, fun work is being done, it serves another valuable purpose — informing the school and wider community of the wonderful things taking place at the Avondale School’s Toronto Campus,” said Andrea Thompson, TCN Production Manger and Avondale School’s Toronto Campus teacher.

— Kerrie Howells

Students help raise reading levels in Cambodia

In 2014, Avondale School Kindergarten teacher Jeannie Lawrence visited a Restore One School in Cambodia to assist in up-skilling the teachers there so they could in turn teach the students to read English.

Jeannie took with her 1000 simple English readers, which were levels 1-5 that Avondale School students had fundraised for. The children are now ready for the next reader levels and so the students of Avondale School once again held a Mufti Day (out of uniform) to raise money to buy more readers so these children can continue to learn English. Learning English is the best way to help the Cambodia students get a job in

the future and break the poverty cycle.

Jeannie set the task for the Avondale School students to do extra jobs at home to earn pocket money leading up to the Mufti Day, with each reader costing approximately $3.00 (this included covering it with contact paper to help extend its life).

In November this year, the 2015 graduating Avondale School Year 12 students travelled to Cambodia in lieu of heading off to “end-of-year Schoolies.” The Year 12s instead choose to work amongst the communities in Cambodia and went to the Restore One School specifically to deliver the new English readers.

“The readers were very much appreciated last year and they are being used every single day, in every classroom,” said Jeannie. “Not only do they teach the young students how to read English, but also how to speak English too. If a child finishes school and is fluent in English, there is a much better chance for them to find better employment than if they don’t speak English.”

— Kerrie Howells

FEATURES

Making our churches safer places for everyone

In the past five years, 1200 leaders have been trained as part of the Safe Churches Training Agreement (SCTA) in our conference.

The North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference signed up to this agreement more than five years ago, and I was asked by the conference Executive Committee to roll this training out across the conference. It’s been a huge effort on the part of trainers and church members!

Each training event runs for approximately four-anda-half hours, and I would personally like to thank the churches for their commitment to safe places, spaces and ministry at their church complexes. I would also like to thank Bob Dale, who initiated the process of NNSW working with SCTA representatives, along with Pastors Peter Cousins and Jeff Parker, who worked with me to make the training relevant to the Adventist Church.

Pastor Cousins and I undertook facilitator training in 2011, which was run by SCTA. We received accreditation and endorsement to run SCTA training workshops in our conference from this. I’ve also attended three Safe Place workshops run by other churches — the Baptists, Anglicans and Church of Christ.

The NNSW Conference was the first Adventist conference in Australia to pioneer this training. Our training manual has been endorsed by Safe Place Services at the Australian Union Conference. This manual was written by myself, Pastor Cousins, Bob and Peter Barnett from SCTA. We needed to craft something that reflected the needs of the Adventist Church.

There has been a massive cultural change in our churches as people become more aware and put safety first. This is a positive outcome for our children and for all church members across the conference. The NNSW Conference is moving toward the place next year where all those who have a working with children check number will be required to complete the SCTA training as part of the recommendations from the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian. Legislation has also changed in NSW during the past five years, especially around the areas of mandatory reporting, working with children checks, and workplace health and safety. The current Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is progressing and this will also bring further changes in what we, as churches, are required to do. We thank God for the Royal Commission. If it helps to make our churches safer, then it is a good thing for all of us.

The SCTA is an agreement that most churches in NSW have signed up to, which includes Baptists, Anglicans, Salvation Army, Church of Christ and many others. The strength of the training is that it is recognised across many denominations in NSW, and I regularly have Scripture teachers from different churches attend training.

As you would have read on Page 3, refresher training is available now, and I’ve already begun to roll this out around our conference. Lakeside Church was the first church to receive the full training five years ago and was also the first to receive the refresher training last month. A calendar of training events for both the full training and refresher is currently being put together, so watch your church announcements for venues near you.

Together we can make our churches a safer place so that great ministry can happen!

— Pastor Daron Pratt

Review: No Heil Hitler!

This year marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The conclusion to the devastating war led General Douglas MacArthur to say, “It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world founded upon faith and understanding — a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish — for freedom, tolerance and justice . . .”

As well as remembering those who fought for freedom, it’s important to remember the problems of the past so that we can learn from them — and try to not repeat them. Sadly, this seems to be easier said than done, as humankind seems prone to destructive tendencies.

Yet, in spite of this, faith and understanding can still flourish. In fact, faith was something that never left Paul Cieslar and his family, even with their experiences in during World War II. Paul witnessed the beginning of that war as a 10-year-old as Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

On that Autumn morning, Paul was out minding the cattle like his father had asked him to. But the peaceful morning was soon shattered by three German fighter planes flying over the valley, firing their guns. In panic, Paul ran home. His father remained calm, noting that the war had begun, and turning to the Bible to read Psalm 50:15, he read — “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me.”

The thrilling opening of No Heil Hitler! describes this day in detail before Paul goes on to write about his family’s life before, during and after World War II. His family’s Adventist faith is their rock, but also has the potential to be a problem for them with the Nazis in control. One Sabbath, an SS officer arrived at their church with a note to inform that they could have only one more sermon, one more hymn and one more prayer, then nothing more — they would not be allowed to return to worship.

Make not mistake: No Heil Hitler! is not an easy biography to read. There are many elements of it that will move you to tears and make you question how humans can be so inhumane. But No Heil Hitler! is a very important book to read regardless. It is a testimony to the power of God in Paul’s life, and the lives of his immediate family, who survived the war.

Paul, who worked for many years as a pastor in Europe (including in Communist Poland) and Australia, is now retired and lives in Melbourne. His story is inspiring and the biography is a deserving winner of the National Seniors Literary Prize that it was awarded this year.

— Adele Nash