NorthPoint - November, 2021

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North New South Wales Conference News

Pr Adrian Raethel NNSW Conference President

It’s a sad story and an insight in the frailty and fickleness of the human spirit. Jesus had just celebrated the Passover with the disciples. After they had sung a hymn, the Gospel writers record that they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus then addresses the disciples informing them that all of them will stumble because of Him before the night is out. Peter, with his usual brashness, responds by declaring that even if all the others deny Jesus, he will not.

Then follows a rapid series of events. Jesus pours His soul out in Gethsemane. Judas leads a band of soldiers for the arrest. Jesus is dragged off to the Sanhedrin and tried. Peter lurks in the shadows, desperately hoping that he won’t be recognised but not

wanting to miss out on what is about to unfold. One of the servant girls recognises him while Peter is trying to stay warm around the fire. Peter denies the accusation and Mark writes that the rooster then crowed. The servant girl comes again and a second denial follows. Then those standing around join in the accusations aimed at him. To drive his denial home and make it sound credible, Peter curses and swears. Mark records that the rooster crows a second time and the penny (or the 100kg weight) drops and Peter remembers the fateful words of Jesus. “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” Mark 14.72.

While Peter is the villain in this story, is it just about him or is there a deeper truth? Three questions demand an answer:

1. How did Jesus know there was going to be a rooster in the vicinity of these unfolding events?

2. How did Jesus know the rooster was going to crow at that specific time?

3. How did Jesus know how many times the rooster was going to crow?

Maybe this story is as much about Jesus as it is about Peter. We have already been prepared by the Gospel writers as they describe Jesus, waking up from a deep sleep in a boat with the disciples in the middle of a ferocious storm. Jesus commands the wind and waves to be still, and they obey. Jesus is Lord of creation, both animate and inanimate.

Whatever may be causing a storm in your life at the moment, take comfort and courage from the fact that Jesus is still in control and He knows every detail of the future. We just need to trust Him.

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Charissa Torossian NNSW Conference Prayer Director

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In 2019, the team at the office of Adventist Mission for the World Church released a Mission to the Cities Prayer Map, that listed all the major cities of the world in the form of a train map. The idea was that people could pray their way around the world, and join in interceding for the success of God’s work. This idea is powerful, and so we decided to develop our very own NNSW Prayer Map too. You will see all the various churches, ministries, companies and initiatives in our conference, laid out in the form of a train map. It is our prayer, that this prayer map will be a useful tool that will help us to intercede together for the success of God’s work and God’s vision in our conference. Please use this in your private prayers, family worships, or classrooms etc. Ellen White once wrote, “Let your prayers follow the servants of God like sharp sickles in the harvest field. God will hear the earnest entreaties of His people.” (The Signs of the Times, September 4, 1879) Let’s press together in earnest prayer for the mission field that God has placed us in for such a time as this.

Pr Abel Iorgulescu NNSW Conference General Secretary

In 1868 the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted to hold Annual Camp Meetings because of the wonderful opportunity it provided to proclaim the soon return of Jesus Christ to a large number of people. In addition to this, Camp Meetings were also a place for church members to be spiritually renewed and encouraged to stay true to their calling.

Thirty years later, in 1898 a camp meeting was held in Newcastle (NSW, Australia), and it became a spiritual highlight for the believers - and the rest is history. Currently the North NSW Big Camp Planning Committee is making plans for the Big Camp 2022, scheduled to take place from 15 – 23 April 2022. Registration will be open from 10 December 2021 until 14 February 2022. The Camp will feature all division tents and also an Intergenerational worship time. The Camp’s theme will be “Making Disciples” based on the Conference Strategic plan voted at the last Constituency meeting. Please pray for those involved in organising this spiritual event of the Conference and may we all embrace the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 28:19-20:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I hope you’ll find it encouraging that the great commission “to go and make disciples” is accompanied by the greatest promise - that Jesus will be with us “always, to the very end of the age’.

The North New South Wales conference is excited to launch the second cohort of Growing Together in 2022. Local churches are invited to participate in this exciting learning journey which seeks to equip local church leadership with education, training, and practical strategy for enabling their congregations to grow together.

If your church would like to participate in 2022 please contact blairlemke@adventist. org.au and register by December 10th.

Youth Rush Literature Evangelism Program

The North New South Wales Conference would like to extend an invitation to all youth and young adults to participate in an exciting new Literature Evangelism program this summer. Based in Newcastle, the 2 week program will provide training and an opportunity to experience front-line mission work and is suitable for individuals with any level of experience. Meals and accommodation are provided and there is no fee required to attend the program. To register or to find out more information please contact blairlemke@adventist.org.au

Cherelle Parker Children’s & Family Ministries Assistant

This week the Family Ministries department is excited to be launching our newest resource, Worship in a Box 2 (Parables Edition). This resource would make an ideal gift for families with young children in your church and features some of the great parables of Jesus concluding with the family finding Jesus in a manger in a stable. Each parable features a toy that your child can hold and play with while you tell the story.

Families are shown step by step how to do family worship in their homes and this resource combines story, play and the power of the gospel to help your family claim a God moment. These God moments create an anchor point on which your child can hang their faith.

This resource is $25 each and only available from the NNSW Conference office. For a limited time, this box also includes the new Advent for Kids book written by Karen Collum and Nathan Brown.

Greg Furnance NNSW Conference Bible Worker

In the middle of September 2021, we at Grafton had finally come out of lockdown and at our first Sabbath back at Church we had two baptisms. We had planned to do them lockdown or not but we were blessed by God to not have to proceed with only one or two people present. We went to the beach after Church with a good group of people who braved the cloudy, cold and crazy wind to witness my two good buddies, Glenn and David give their hearts to the Lord! As we walked a long way out into the ocean, in the freezing cold during low tide all I could do was nothing but smile and give praise to God! I had been studying with Glenn for 12 months and just as he had promised me, 12 months before, on the very same beach that he would

be baptised in this spot, God had made it happen and we were walking into the water together. God had worked powerfully in Glenn to help him overcome some significant addiction issues and now he was sold out for Jesus! David was a young man who I had grown up with in the Church and just like me, he had left the Church to pursue worldly interests. For so long we prayed for him to return - our prayers were answered.

David joined our small group first and then started to have one on one studies with me. Now he has come back stronger than ever and devotes his time to the Bible more than most people I know! God is good and when we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the storm around us He will continue to bless our efforts, honouring our faith no matter what circumstances we are in!

Tim Turner Pastor

At the Nambucca Heads church we are taking steps to set up residual streams of ministry. With many of our members now well beyond retirement age, we have decided to do what we can and use what we have to start reaching out to our community in small but lasting ways.

This winter saw us planting fruit trees which have already bloomed conversations with nearby neighbours. We are also currently replacing the century old roof tiles with tin to keep our church and hall functioning leak free so we can continue to minister to the community in the coming years.

Our next residual stream of ministry that we are currently exploring is using some of our largely unused land to connect with youth and children. We have been talking with the local council and plan to canvass the local community regarding putting in

some type of sporting equipment or children’s park.

These changes are an attempt to divert the course of our church back into the oldest channels. For “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, “Follow Me.” We wish to go upstream following Christ and use His method in this journey.

Have you been praying for a sea change to see change? You would be welcome to relocate to Nambucca Heads to join us in this ministry direction. As a small regional centre a little over 30min south of Coffs Harbour with a new hospital, a developing k-12 Christian School, and land prices that are still comparatively reasonable, Nambucca Heads is a beautiful place to share living water.

Alvin Schick Chaplain

All of our schools have been hit by COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. The southern schools have had the most lockdowns. Faced with the challenges of not being able to function with business as usual, our chaplaincy team along with Avondale staff have come up with some innovative ways to continue pastoral care and mission over the past 18 months:

- WOW Week: The format of the primary Week of Worship was changed - including a fun whole school Kahoot with prizes every day.

- The Way Café: After 2020 COVID lockdown the Way Café was created for high school students as a pastoral care initiative to nurture community and connection.

- RealCo Ministry was created during COVID 2020 - Radical Expressions of Authentic Love Collective - Years 9 -12 – a collective ministry that brings people together to have fun, learn about Jesus, and join in service for the community.

- StormCo Online: Our StormCo team couldn’t travel to Cobar with lockdown, so the team put together a three day online program involved Music, Craft, Story time, puppets and drama.

- Wellbeing Programs: A key component to the chaplaincy program during covid has been involvement in the wellbeing space. Across the primary school campus ‘Bounce Back’ was run - a certified wellbeing and resilience program for primary school students.

- Alpha: The Alpha Youth series, is an interactive program that introduces students to the Christian faith. It continued to run during COVID.

- Following Jesus - Series created by chaplain James Greensill to prepare kids for Baptism. He says: “Due to COVID, and not being able to have our usual volunteers to help with Bible studies, we had to think differently about engaging students and their parents. To filter through students that were super keen on being baptised this year we sent an invitation to parents with a QR code to watch the ‘Following Jesus’ Bible studies with their children in order to prepare them for baptism. The best thing about this concept is that Parents have been doing the journey with their kids, this is especially exciting for kids that are unchurched.”

Steven Teale Pastor

Bray Park Church has had the blessing of not being locked down over the last couple of months and this last Sabbath the 09/10 we had the pleasure to welcome Lisa McCrone into fellowship, Lisa went from a baptised Methodist (Uniting church) to now an Adventist, and having a living relationship with Christ. Lisa commented that “God has given me a new life, the Bray Park church feels like family”.

We praise God that though we have been locked down on and off, God is still at work. All glory to Jesus.

Read Numbers 22:21-39 in the Bible and find all the words below!

Kate Garriga Local Church Member

If you happen to notice an increase in the intelligence of Hamilton Church members, it’s because they have just finished the 6 week ‘Optimise Your Brain’ program by Dr Neil Nedley. Participants have been correcting distorted thinking habits, eating foods essential to brain health and better mood, and letting classical music restore their frontal lobe. They have been practicing curiosity, kindness, creativity and more. The learning and growing was done together, in a safe, supportive, online group.

The feedback says it all:

“As a young adult, this course has opened my eyes to see so many amazing and practical steps to better not only my mental health, but my physical, emotional and spiritual health. If you are someone, young or old, who is looking for the right resource to understand how you can improve these areas of your life, this program is for you!”

“This was one of the best church programs I’ve ever been part of. Excellent content - professionally facilitated. So relevant to the challenges and opportunities of today. Thank you Kate and Darren for leading us through this program!”

“The OYB taught me a lot of things, that I have already started to implement for myself and my family. We have reduced our screen time and I have learnt to put my phone away at night to allow my brain to rest. It’s amazing how I have already started feeling the difference.”

“Well worth the time! The exercises were so practical and worth doing. A lifelong treasure if you need a renewing of the mind.”

If your church would like to run ‘Optimise Your Brain’, please contact the Health Department. This ready-made program comes with Dr Nedley’s talks to put up on the screen, slides, questions, homework, and a work book and textbook each. ‘Optimise Your Brain’ can be a wonderful experience whether online or face to face.

Ingredients:

- ½ cup oat flour

- ½ cup buckwheat flour

- 1¼ cup almond milk

- 1 banana

SWEET CREPES

- 1 TBSP maple syrup

- pinch salt

- 1 TBSP grapeseed oil

- drop vanilla extract

- coconut oil spray for frying

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Enquiries

The NorthPoint Bulletin is printed 10 times per year by the Adventist Church (North New South Wales Conference).

Editor Marta Rutkowska

Phone (02) 4951 8088

Email northpoint@adventist.org.au

Website nnsw.adventist.org.au

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We would love to share local news with the conference in print or online. Please send through relevant contributions to the above contact address.

Disclaimer: Articles express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method:

1. If you don‘t have oat flour, begin by breaking down rolled oats in a blender until they become a flour.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend until a crepe batter forms. It should be fairly runny.

3. Heat frying pan and spray with coconut oil spray.

4. Add about ⅓ cup batter to a frying pan and spread around as best possible until you get a crepe shape.

5. Fry for 1-2 minutes and then flip and fry the other side for a few more seconds. you can tell when they are ready when they turn golden in colour.

6. Repeat until you finish the entire batter, adding more coconut oil spray as needed.

7. Remember the first crepe is always not that great!

8. Enjoy with fillings and toppings of choice. Find this recipe and lots more online at hazelandcacao.com