NorthPoint - February, 2017

Memorial service celebrates life of Dr Michael Chamberlain

At the memorial service held for Dr Michael Chamberlain on Monday, 16 January, tributes flowed for a man who led an extraordinary life and always looked for the good in imperfect people in an imperfect world.

Dr Chamberlain passed away suddenly on Sunday, 9 January due to complications from leukaemia. He was aged 72. His memorial service, which was held at Avondale College Church, was attended by more than 600 people, with family and friends joined by authors, politicians, church representatives, Avondale College employees and others.

The service was coordinated by Dr Lyell Heise and Stuart Tipple, both of whom were close friends of Dr Chamberlain. The service opened with the hymn Ingrid and Michael walked down the aisle to, Thine Be The Glory. In welcoming attendees, Dr Heise noted that the afternoon was an opportunity to celebrate Dr Chamberlain’s life, and explained that the display on the stage — featuring the things Dr Chamberlain loved, including his motorbike, equipment from his bush block and other items — represented things he was passionate about. The yellow Torana 1977 hatchback outside the church — the one that had been used in the film Evil Angels — was also part of this collection.

Dr Norm Young gave the prayer, which reflected on the challenges the Chamberlains had faced in life when baby Azaria was taken by a dingo in August 1980. “He [Michael] expected concern, but he received condemnation . . .” said Dr Young. He asked God where He was, then answered his own question — “You were there through all those who cherished justice and pursued it instead of judgment.”

Stuart presented the life sketch of Dr Chamberlain, who was born in New Zealand on 27 February, 1944 to Ivan and Greta Chamberlain. He spoke of the “friendship for life” he had with Dr Chamberlain, whose life he said was divided in half — “36 years pre-Rock, 36 years post-Rock.”

The life sketch Stuart shared, which mixed humour, compassion and moving sadness, painted a picture of someone who had always been passionate about whatever he put his hand to, excelling in sport, and academic and outdoor

In

activities. He grew up as a Methodist, but converted to Seventh-day Adventism after his mother did — the health message held great appeal to him.

Stuart described Dr Chamberlain as “more than a man cruelly wronged.” He said, “The really important thing was that, despite being cruelly wronged, he was able to look for the good in imperfect people in an imperfect world.”

All those who paid tribute to Dr Chamberlain spoke of him as a passionate man; steadfast, hard-working, honest and full of faith. His wife Ingrid described him as “not a perfect man, but he was perfect for me.” She spoke about his tireless work for the community and her pride in his completion of a doctorate. “I’m going to miss him so much,” added Ingrid. “I keep looking at the door, expecting him to walk in any minute. I’ll see him again when Jesus comes and I can’t wait. . . . I’ll never forget him and I’ll love him forever.”

Dr Chamberlain’s step-daughter Juanita said she was “proud to call Michael my dad,” describing him as a man of many talents who was happiest when friends and family were gathered around for a BBQ. She noted that he saw all good things in life as a gift from God.

Aiden Chamberlain spoke on behalf of the Chamberlain children, paying a moving tribute to his father. “He was a great man in so many ways and we are very proud of him. But he was so broken and crushed in so many other ways,” Aiden noted. He said they cherish the memories they have of their father, who exhibited great strength, both physical and mental. He also stressed the importance of talking to your loved ones, as you don’t know when you could lose them.

(Continued on Page 2)

Page 2: From the President: My farewell message

Page 3: Kids’ worship sequel goes home, connects worldwide

Page 5: “Chauction” held at Kariong XChange

Page 6: New Principal for Avondale School in 2017

OUR CONFeReNCe

From the President: My farewell

message

After nine years of serving in the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference Office, Wendy and I have decided it’s time for us to get back to the local church. We really have felt convicted about this for some time, but have left it in God’s hands. every door has been flung open, so we are very much at peace with making this important decision.

I want to give a big thank you to all the church members who have put their faith and trust in me. It has been very humbling and very rewarding, and the members of the NNSW Conference have been very kind and supportive.

Reasons:

Memorial service celebrates life of Dr Michael Chamberlain

(Continued from Page 1)

Dr Chamberlain’s brother Peter shared happy memories from their younger days, including fly fishing together. “After eating so many fish, I was glad when it turned to catch and release!” Peter joked. He also spoke of his brother’s love for motorbikes, and how Greta introducing Dr Allan Lindsay and Pastor David Currie to Dr Chamberlain led to him enrolling to study at Avondale College.

Others to pay tribute to Dr Chamberlain included John Bryson, author of Evil Angels; Malcolm Brown, a journalist who reported extensively on the Azaria Chamberlain case; Dr Ron Laura, who worked with Dr Chamberlain as he completed his thesis and was wearing a bright blue velvet jacket at the memorial — one that Dr Chamberlain had told him he wanted Dr Laura to wear to his funeral should he pre-decease him; and close friends.

Dr Chamberlain will be remembered for his fight for justice, the community work he engaged in, and his care and love for family and friends.

— Adele

Health

My Mum is not well, and unfortunately she is suffering with arthritis in her spine, hips and hands. As she lives on her own, I really feel the responsibility of living closer so I can take more care of her. I’ll soon be moving to pastor a church in the South New South Wales Conference.

Getting back to the field

Working in the office, for me, is like being locked in a cage. I just love soul winning and working directly with a church in order to grow it. I have had quite an amazing journey as the President of this conference and I feel very confident in the team that currently exists in NNSW, both in the field and in the office. It gives me great peace knowing that the church is in such good hands.

During my time, there have been a lot of changes, from adding Area Mentors through to ARISe Australia, and the employment of quite a young pastoral team. education has been restructured and our Aged Care company is in a very strong position. Only time will reveal whether these changes will be lasting.

I’m so excited to see our baptism numbers and tithe so strong. We have 15 new church plants going at the moment and that’s just tremendous. We praise God for that. I really believe that the best times for the Adventist Church in NNSW are still ahead.

My own spiritual journey

Being President of this conference is not an easy job. I know I have made lots of mistakes, but also have been amazingly blessed. I personally would love to have some more time leading out at a local church level, returning to what God really called me to do. It has been a wonderful privilege to serve and see so many other people being empowered to get involved in God’s work.

Please pray for the nominating committee as they wrestle with who to place in the job next. I am praying that God will bring the right person at this time to further the work and expand God’s Kingdom. May God richly bless us as we each do everything in our power to prepare the world for Jesus to return.

— Pastor Justin Lawman

Nash

Photo of Dr Michael Chamberlain courtesy of New Holland Publishers Memorial service photos courtesy of Ann Stafford

Top left: John Bryson, author of evil Angels, paid tribute to Dr Michael Chamberlain, speaking of the immense reach he had. Top right: Dr Lyell Heise, who was friends with Dr Chamberlain for more than 50 years, worked to coordinate the memorial service. Above: Stuart Tipple, lawyer and long-term friend of Dr Chamberlain, speaks to the media assembled for the memorial service.

Kids’ worship sequel goes home, connects worldwide

Playful Worship Book 2 was dedicated in the local church at which “Playful Worship” was birthed. Author and composer Kylie Stacey is a member of the Lakeside Adventist Church. On 3 December, the new Playful Worship Book 2 featured in the worship service, after a Facebook Live broadcast from their Beginners Sabbath school group.

“Playful Worship began right here in our own Sabbath school about seven years ago, when my husband and I became leaders of the Beginners group,” says Kylie. “We really wanted to introduce music that was tailored to 0- to 3-year-olds. Because I had a background in early childhood music, I wanted something that was also interactive with the parents, so we started writing and recording our own songs, which led to the first Playful Worship book.”

As well as the participation of a new generation of Beginners, the Playful Worship morning also featured Signs Publishing’s book editor, Nathan Brown, and Pastor Daron Pratt, Director of Children’s Ministries for the North New South Wales Conference.

“In their earliest years, children’s brains are developing at a rapid rate and they are looking for models,” says Pastor Pratt. “Playful Worship encourages parents to be involved with their children in modelling Jesus, in modelling the stories, in modelling the songs and getting active in worship with their children.”

Coming three years after the launch of the first Playful Worship book, the new music and worship resource book features new songs and activities, as well as suggested program outlines corresponding with the Bible stories in Year B of the Gracelink children’s curriculum.

“Book 2 also has information about how to adapt ‘Playful Worship’ to different group setting and the benefits of the different types of activities described in the book,” explains Kylie.

The Facebook Live broadcast from Lakeside’s Beginners Sabbath school demonstrated two songs from the new Playful Worship book, and featured an interview with Kylie and an endorsement from Pastor Pratt, as well as the dedication itself. The short broadcast clips were viewed by more than 300 people around the world on the day, including connecting with Children’s Ministries leaders in Loma Linda, California, who have adopted Playful Worship in their regular programs.

“Since the first book came out, the highlight has been receiving feedback from people who I might not have met before, saying what it’s done for their church or Sabbath school or even their family worships at home,” says Kylie. “So seeing other churches use it and hearing the songs being played makes it worthwhile.”

— Nathan Brown

A review of Playful Worship Book 2 can be found on Page 7. Playful Worship Book 2 — as well as the original Playful Worship — includes two music resources discs and is available now from Adventist Book Centres. View the Facebook Live video clips on at the “Playful Worship” Facebook page: <www.facebook.com/groups/playfulworship>.

OUR CONFeReNCe

Southlakes Refuge receives welcome donation

Southlakes Refuge, located in the Lake Macquarie area, is a church-operated ministry for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

In 2016, Sallyann Price, manager of the refuge, received with great appreciation a cheque of $12,400 from the women attending a conference held recently in Melbourne.

Over the past 12 months, Southlakes has provided care and rehabilitation support for more than 80 women and their children. Donations such as this help provide not only short-term needs, but also household items to help women re-establish themselves in a secure environment.

Pastor Kevin Amos, Chair of the Southlakes Refuge Management Committee (pictured above with Sallyann), says there is an intentional effort to provide an Adventist Christian influence in the home.

Contact with the refuge can be made through PO Box 422 Morisset 2264.

— Bob Dale

Thank you for your generosity!

At last year’s Big Camp, you may have given to a special offering that was to be used for evangelistic project, church planting and discipleship training. A record $250,000 was given and we thank you so much for your generosity.

Your offerings have already begun to change lives.

Your offering has enabled us to invest in several church plant initiatives in Armidale, Scone, Newcastle, Raymond Terrace, Bonnells Bay, Tweed Heads and Lightning Ridge (to name a few). We’re excited about the opportunities these church plants offer. Please join us in praying for them to be a blessing to their communities.

With new churches come new staff and we now have more Bible workers on the ground than ever before, with 50 paid and volunteer staff assisting and running church plants throughout the North New South Wales Conference.

ARISe Australia is on again this year in Kingscliff, having started at the end of last month. More than 40 people are enrolled this year — praise God! We’re also developing gap year scholarship to make ARISe more accessible to Year 12 students. ARISe express will also run in Newcastle, commending this month after the Leadership in the Local Church weekend.

Thank you so much for your faithful giving. We pray that when we come together for Big Camp, we can show you more of the wonderful ways in which you have helped to grow God’s Kingdom.

— Kyle Morrison

OUR CHURCHeS

Forresters Beach church camp

The weekend of 15 and 16 October, 2016, saw approximately 65 church members from the Forresters Beach Church gather together to fellowship and worship at the Karuah Camping Grounds. Pastor eric Winter was the guest speaker, and he presented the wonderful truths of the Gospel. The music, which was led by Ivan Caldwell and his group of ukulele players, was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance. A wonderful time was had by all and there are already plans being laid for this year’s church camp.

— Owen Twist

Lismore celebrates baptisms

It was a day of celebration on at Lismore Church as Barbara Sawyer and Susan SennRossell were baptised by Pastor Keith Jackson, assisted by William Moala.

Barbara grew up on the Northern Rivers of New South Wales attending the Church of england with her parents. She married a man from church, they moved away from the area and he banned her from attending church any more. They separated many years later, and Barbara began visiting churches and searching in other religions.

Barbara moved back to Lismore after the death of her mum. She had also recently been divorced and had a stressful family wedding. Barbara prayed that God would show her the right church. Her family were interested in health, so an ad in the local free paper for CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program) caught her attention. At the completion of the course, she was invited by Neville Leeson to attend a Secrets of Prophecy seminar presented by William. Barbara began attending Lismore Church at the end of this program, and continued studies with William and Myrtle Shelford. William says that Barbara put him through his paces with her meticulous study of every Bible text and insightful questions. Despite her initial reservations about attending a church on Saturday, which did not have any crosses or stained glass, Barbara decided to follow what she was learning in the Bible. Barbara feels she has now come home — not only physically, but spiritually. She says Sabbath school is a highlight, and enjoys being involved in a UR Church group and serving as a deaconess.

STORM Co team visits Bourke

On Sunday, 25 September, a group of young people from the Forresters Beach Church left the Central Coast to go to Bourke for a STORM Co (Service To Others Really Matters) outreach program.

This would be around the 15th trip to Bourke by young people from the Central Coast.

These young people had a very successful time in Bourke, with around 26 to 32 children from the community joining them each day for fun and games! They did face painting, bead making, photo frame decorating, played games and had lots of fun. each day, they would give the children fruit juice and platters full of sliced oranges and apples. The children devoured the lot, as they love fresh fruit.

When our young people were asked why they wanted to go to Bourke, they all said, “For the kids out there!” If we make a difference in one child’s life, then the STORM Co trips will be worth it all. Jesus says, “Let the little children come unto me.”

Sometimes we need to travel to where they are. We are also commissioned with spreading the Gospel and our STORM Co team is committed to sharing Jesus, especially with the children of Bourke.

Sabbath saw the Bourke Church open with children and the local Adventist people enjoying singing, and a sermon from Jack Rider. Please continue to pray for Keith and Danuta Stockwell, who lead Bourke Church, and the Adventist people in Bourke. We pray that the church will grow and more of the people of Bourke will learn about God.

— Owen Twist

Susan has always had a close sense of God in her life. She talked to God and knew He was looking after her during the first 10 years of her life, living with her alcoholic parents. She and her siblings then went to live with their grandparents and, although they weren’t regular church attendees, Susan began attending the Baptist Church, where she was baptised at the age of 19. It was here that she met her first husband who claimed to be a Christian. Over the next 10 years, he beat her up and spent time in and out of jail, yet she says during the times of being a single mum of three boys, God cared for them. She was never without a place to live and the finances always managed to stretch.

Susan later married Rick, who always treated her well. They moved to a house that happens to be across the road from the Lismore Church. Susan began attending sometime after Rick’s death. During one of the sermons William preached, she filled out a response card asking for Bible studies. William and Lynde Waldron began having studies with her. She was always waiting for them at the door and greeted them with such enthusiasm. Susan has a simple faith and loves to tell people, “God is a good God!” Both women have expressed their appreciation for the way the church teaches the Bible.

During her baptism, Susan was hesitant at first to go entirely under water, but realised she could trust the pastors completely. Pastor Jackson then had to reassure Barbara that she only needed to go under the water once! It is a blessing having these ladies as members of our Lismore Church.

— Lynde Waldron

Local Coonamble identity baptised

OUR CHURCHeS

“Chauction” held at Kariong XChange

What’s a “Chauction”? Well, read on while pondering how much you would be willing to pay for your favourite sweet treat!

One of the small groups at the Kariong XChange recently held their second annual “Chauction,” where members bid nonperishable food items for chocolate, with the nonperishable “proceeds” going to support CoastShelter in Gosford.

At times the bidding was frantic, and the desperation obvious — but the winners were seen sharing the spoils with the losers. even our youngest members tried their hand at bidding with surprising enthusiasm.

Who would have thought a Cadbury Creations block was worth 32 Items?!

On 19 November, Clarence “Chooky” Baker, one of the life-long personalities of the township in Coonamble, entered the waters of the Castlereagh River to be baptised. Around 50 people from the township and the local Coonamble Church turned out to witness the event.

Chooky chose to be baptised at a place in the river named “The Lounge.” It was a favourite meeting spot for him and his mates back in the day.

He has been attending Coonamble Church for the past 12 months after Bible worker John Dittrich knocked on his door and struck up a friendship. Since then, he has not only been a weekly participant at church, but also helps out at the church’s foodbank and attends weekly Bible studies.

Chooky is now encouraging others to discover Jesus for themselves and come along to church.

— Shaun Hepworth

Lakeside hosts community Thanksgiving dinner

— Andrew Ansell

Creation Research Seminar at Nambucca

On 29 November, 80 people were treated to a magnificent three-course meal at the Sunshine Sailing Club. Lakeside Church members, from ages six to 60+, combined their efforts to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers and leaders in our local community. Greg Piper, our local MP, attended and was appreciative of the evening.

A delightful ambiance was created by drinks from AlcoFree and gourmet hors d’oeuvres upon arrival. An abundant tea of tasty selections for the mains was served by adults and children, followed by a buffet of exquisite desserts. The evening was filled with lots of good-spirited chatter and laughter, with meaningful moments of sharing compered by Brenton Stacey and Andy Matthes. Setting up, greeting, waiting on tables, even dishwashing and the massive clean-up was all done with a cheerful spirit of cooperation by young and old. It was a real treat being involved in a community event that celebrated and recognised the many volunteers who make up our local community! It was well appreciated, with everyone raising their hand when asked if they’d like to come again.

Kylie Stacey

The Nambucca Arts and Culture Centre was the venue for the Nambucca and Macksville Churches to host a Creation Research Seminar from 11 to 13 November.

The world traveller and archaeologist John Mackay fascinated those present with his scientific facts and evidence to refute common fallacies in evolution.

The Macksville Adventist School children who attended were enthralled with the pictures and exhibits John shared, and contributed with intelligent answers in the quiz segments.

A delicious meal was shared with all attendees on the Sabbath of the series.

We pray that all the seminar attendees will be encouraged with the knowledge of the beauty and complexity of our world, and give glory to our amazing Creator God.

— Jane Richardson

Organisers Richard Lumsden and Thomas Lee with John and Ann Mackay from the Creation Research Centre

OUR SCHOOLS

New Principal for Avondale School in 2017

Week of Worship at Toronto School

During the week of 14 to 18 November, Avondale School’s Toronto Campus celebrated their Week of Worship by taking a step back in time through their imaginations and travelling to Ancient egypt.

The church was decorated in an egyptian theme and at the entrance, it was like walking alongside the River Nile. The week focussed on the story of Joseph and was brought to life each day by Pastor Brock Goodall and his team, including guest speaker David Leo. each day Pastor Leo dressed up as an egyptian and was known throughout the week as Anuk.

Avondale School is pleased to announce that Dr David McClintock (pictured above, right, with Dr David Faull) has been appointed as the next Principal of Avondale School. Dr McClintock took up the role in late January, when school resumed for 2017.

Previously serving as the South Pacific Division’s Associate education Director, Dr McClintock has been responsible for the teaching and learning development of more than 2500 teachers in the Pacific.

Dr McClintock has previously been Deputy Principal of three schools, and Principal of five, three of which were boarding schools.

Dr McClintock has also served as an education Director and a curriculum writer for Adventist Schools Australia. His real passion, however, remains the school community and, throughout his career, he has stepped back into full-time classroom teaching on a number of occasions. He is happiest interacting with students and loves being in a school setting.

“I am honoured and excited to be asked to be the new Principal at Avondale School. I am looking forward to continuing the strong academic excellence that Avondale School is renown for,” said Dr McClintock.

Outgoing Principal Dr David Faull is a well-regarded and highly-respected leader of Avondale School, serving in leadership for the past 18 years and, as the 2016 school year drew to a close in early December, he left behind a legacy of accomplishments, which include the amalgamation of the Primary and Secondary Schools into one campus in 2002, and the construction and the opening of the early Learning Centre in 2003.

Dr Faull will be remembered for his effective vision for growth and infrastructure, his passion for the students and their achievements and also his focus for mission work, which was strongly balanced by his enthusiasm for spirituality and learning.

“The time at Avondale School has gone by so quickly. I have spent 18 years working with wonderful students and such a supportive community. It has been a real privilege. I have so enjoyed watching young people grow and mature and become successful adults with strong with families values of their own,” said Dr Faull.

— Kerrie Howells

Toronto Campus teacher Andrea Thompson said, “Our Week of Worship was very exciting. Pastor Goodall and his team took us to egypt each day, and Pastor Leo told the story of Joseph from an egyptian soldier’s point of view.”

Toronto Campus Coordinator Miss Dias also commented, “What a special week it was for our school. We have just loved the Week of Worship program and we thank Pastor Pyramid (Pastor Brock Goodall — School Chaplain), Anuk (Pastor Leo) and Hadid (Pastor Jack) for making it such an outstanding time. We really enjoyed learning about the story of Joseph in egypt.”

Many commitments to Jesus were made at the conclusion of the week. Praise God!

— Kerrie Howells

Special focus on Aboriginal culture at Macquarie

On Friday, 4 November the Senior and Junior Schools held special chapel programs at Macquarie College with a special focus on Aboriginal culture in Australia.

Pastor Johnny Murison is a well-known Aboriginal Seventh-day Adventist church pastor, who has featured on the Beyond the Search TV series.

Pastor Murison talked about Aboriginal culture from his Christian perspective, sharing information and photos with our students about bush tucker, Aboriginal rock art and how Aboriginals lived in the Australian outback.

He then shared a special presentation to Year 1 classes and students who identify as Aboriginal or of Torres Straight Islander descent. Pastor Murison played the didgeridoo, talked about hunting techniques and demonstrated face painting with the students.

Pastor Murison said that we can learn a lot about God’s character from nature. However, he explained that the ultimate revelation of God is Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow Him.

— Pastor Brad Rea/Josh Goss

Macquarie College maintains its top 150 schools ranking

Macquarie College is proud of the achievements of its 46 students who recently completed the Higher School Certificate in 2016. As a result of 28 top band results from the HSC class of 2016, Macquarie College delivers one of the region’s highest-performing secondary school programs. Of the 46 students completing their HSC last year, 16 students began their education in Kindergarten at Macquarie College and are known as “K-12 Originals.”

Highest ATAR Year 12 Dux Alex Bodkin (pictured, left), achieved Top All Rounder by receiving 90 or higher in five examinations undertaken (Chemistry, english Advanced, Mathematics, PDHPe, Studies of Religion 2) and received an ATAR of 97.7. As a result, Alex intends to pursue a career in emergency medicine and trauma response, if successful in gaining entry to Medicine at James Cook University.

Throughout 2015/16, Alex’s approach to studying her HSC involved a good balance of study and relaxation. “I was really organised right throughout the HSC. I committed to regular study, but it was not strictly timetabled,” she says. “By keeping up-to-date with readings, notetaking and summaries every week, I wasn’t overloaded. It was just about making continual progress. While I would have liked a few more marks to open up a more options, I’m proud of these marks and now just have to wait for offers to be made. I went to the gym every day after school because I made time for that, as well as weekly dinner catch-ups with my friends. It was really important to me to do that in between study sessions.”

Alex adds, “I’m really grateful for all of the assistance I received from my teachers, because they were so approachable throughout the HSC to help with anything. They really cared for us, and made sure we understood and had the best chance possible to do well in the exams.”

Fellow Year 12 student Sarah Jones achieved an excellent result in Studies of Religion 2 unit, ranking sixth in the state.

Aidan Gageler has an additional reason to celebrate last year, after his Visual Arts Major Work was selected for inclusion in the ARTeXPReSS exhibition touring New South Wales in 2017. His work, a photographic series titled “Wanderer above the fog” (extract pictured, below), featured landscape images from across the Hunter Valley, and demonstrated advanced photographic composition and editing techniques.

Macquarie College Principal Dr Bruce Youlden congratulated last year’s cohort on their achievements, confirming that the HSC results are one of many important elements which represent students’ overall achievement during their time at the college. “The 2016 Year 12 cohort has worked hard to achieve personal best results in every area of academic study and co-curricular pursuits,” Dr Youlden said. “Our staff have nurtured this cohort over many years as they progressed through the Senior School, challenging each individual to learn course material comprehensively, and understand ways in which it can be applied to their daily lives.”

— Clare Jolliffe /Michelle Slack-Smith

FeATURe

Review: Playful Worship Book 2

Think back to Sabbath school when you were a little kid.

Was it something you looked forward to? Were there activities or songs that you absolutely loved and couldn’t wait for each week? Did you feel like you were in a loving, nurturing environment?

For many of us when we were kids, Sabbath school was the highlight of going to church (well, that and spending time with friends). It was something that was just for us, with fun activities, rewards for remembering your memory verse and special messages tailored for our age range that connected us with God’s love.

And then, of course, there were the songs...

Music is something so many of us love, in one style or another. Music is particularly important for children, and it can be used to stimulate children’s social and emotional abilities, as well as developing their language skills. When you combine songs/music with nurturing children and sharing how much God loves them, it makes worship even better.

Kylie Stacey created the “Playful Worship” concept at Lakeside Church as part of her music and children’s’ ministries, and it aims to nurture loving experiences through music. Kylie is a passionate and talented musician, and has a great love for children and God. As she notes, children experience their first look at God through their family members, which is why family involvement is key. There are so many bonding opportunities that are offered by worshipping together, both at home and at church.

Playful Worship was released three years ago and Playful Worship Book 2: More loving experiences through music is a great addition to the Playful Worship series of books. As with the first book, Playful Worship Book 2 is full of music and shared worship activity ideas, and comes with two CDs of the featured songs. Along with new compositions and old favourites, Kylie has included a number of songs that can be used with a variety of Bible stories, along with songs for 12 Bible verses.

The comprehensive resource is designed for children aged between 0 and seven, for use both at home and at church. One thing I particularly appreciate about Kylie’s approach with Playful Worship is that it’s not limited to church. This isn’t just a resource for Sabbath mornings. It can be used at any time by anyone. There are worship plans included at the back of the book, or you can be creative and invent your own. Why not give it a try!

— Adele Nash

Playful Worship Book 2

Kylie Stacey (The Music Room)

108 pages (plus two music resource discs)

2016 Signs Publishing Company

Find out more about “Playful Worship” at <http://playfulmusic.org>