Guardian Oct 2012

OCTOBER 2012

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF ADELAIDE

Bold determination of

INSIDE: Parish Partnerships - the BIG picture

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THE ANGLICAN GUARDIAN

Published by the Diocese of Adelaide Edited by Katrina McLachlan Phone: (08) 8305 9348 Fax: (08) 8305 9399 Email: communications@adelaide.anglican.com.au www.adelaide.anglican.com.au Layout and Design by Black Sheep Advertising Phone: (08) 8232 3022 www.blacksheepadvertising.com.au Photography by Brenton Edwards Phone: 0419 815 443 Subscriptions: Diocesan Office 18 King William Road North Adelaide 5006 Phone: (08) 8305 9350 Advertising enquiries contact: Loan Leane Phone: (08) 7007 9020 Mobile: 0404 089 762 loan@joiecreative.com.au Printed by NewStyle Printing Phone: (08) 8234 6155

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Anglican Diocese of Adelaide

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

By Ann Nadge Wind or a misunderstanding brings someone else’s letter to the soft fingered lavender reaching around my gate post.

There is temptation here to hold it to the light, to wonder aloud What news is this that must be soon believed?

What counterpoint turns time?

What record of the day?

There are always more deliveries to come yet there are words folded inside strokes to mark my neighbour’s day.

There is temptation here.

Do I drop it in her letterbox or deliver by hand where the soft fingered lavender reaches around her back door?

Ann Nadge is The Guardian’s poetry editor. Submissions of 20 lines or less are welcome. Send to the general editorial email address.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? BRENTON EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY 0419 815 443

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contents

THE GIFT OF THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION

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A ministry of reconciliation 165 years later and pioneers again 8. Sustaining places of worship 11. New Dean’s Cathedral passion

Archbishop Jeffrey Driver The Allan Jones remark about the death of the Prime Minister’s father was appalling, but what is more appalling is that his comments were only worse by degree than the usual trading of insults that passes as national discourse.

Our Federal Parliament has always had its moments of sharp exchange, but in recent years we have seen debate too often degraded into the trading of insults; radio shock jocks have been outdoing each other in making gratuitous comments.

The Church is more polite, but often lets itself down as well. Our debates surrounding the ordination of women, and in more recent times the place of gay and lesbian people in the church, have often been marked by assertion, debate, caricature of the other, and very little real conversation.

The national meeting of Bishops this year unanimously agreed to support ongoing conversations in our Church around issues of human sexuality. As a Diocese we had already agreed to facilitate a series of conversations on this subject and they were held mid-year. I was encouraged by this initiative, but having attended each of the sessions, would also reflect that real conversation around difficult issues is a discipline to be learnt. It is not easy.

Our societal default is adversarial debate and of course there will always remain a place for respectful debate, particularly when decisions are to be made. But at a deep and foundational level, as Christians, our default in approaching difficult issues together

ought to be conversation. Archbishop Rowan Williams makes the point that conversation is a fundamental theological tool. The archbishop’s comment makes sense when you read the Gospels; the characteristic mode of communication for Jesus was conversation.

To be in conversation, Rowan Williams suggests, is to be “in the middle of things”.[i] Conversation has an essentially “unfinished” quality in which it is recognised that there might be more to say on both sides, with the possibility of growth and correction.

Conversation proceeds on the premise that we do see in a “glass darkly” and that our knowing and our speaking is “in part”. [ii] There is an openness about it and it calls us to the long engagement rather than brief encounter and can only occur when there is a desire to be in relationship.

In an age of information overload, of digital debate, of 20 second “grabs”, respectful conversation even in disagreement, is an art to be learnt and a gift to be treasured.

12 mISSION 12. New faces of Adelaide Anglicanism 14. When I needed a neighbour...

17 fOCUS 17. Parish partnerships 19. Breakfast Club 20. JADAAP chair changes

21 SCHOOLS 21. Creating opportunities for excellence 22. St. Columba’s Call to worship

24 cOMMUNITY [i] Williams, R, On Christian Theology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2000). [ii] I Cor. 13.12

24. God words 25. Books 26. National and International news 28. People and Places 30. Advertisements

A Ministry of Reconciliation By the Rev’d Peter Sandeman Justice and mission can never be separated.

When the partnership between Anglican Dioceses and their community service agencies is weak both justice and mission is diminished. Just as the cure is shared between Bishop and Priest, so too Anglicare and the parishes as members of the Diocese share the responsibility to provide loving service and seek to transform unjust structures. While we often focus on the former responsibility we sometimes lack the conviction to undertake the latter.

One issue that particularly illustrates this point is National Reconciliation. Reconciliation is at the very centre of the Christian gospel. As Saint Paul says in his letter to the church at Corinth, being reconciled with God means we must also be reconciled with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.

And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5: 18-20) The former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, put reconciliation at the centre of his ministry even as he confronted the evil of apartheid. Tutu emphasized that working towards genuine reconciliation “is not cheap”; it will extract a cost from us because it involves righting wrong:

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“For our nation to heal and become a more humane place, we had to embrace our enemies as well as our friends. The same is true the world over. True enduring peace— between countries, within a country, within a community, within a family—requires real reconciliation between former enemies and even between loved ones who have struggled with one another…

True reconciliation is based on forgiveness, and forgiveness is based on true confession, and confession is based on penitence, on contrition, on sorrow for what you have done.”

(God has a Dream, Doubleday, 2004)

Archdeacon Karen Kime made a similar point about the cost of reconciliation delivering this year’s John Roffey Memorial Lecture at the Anglicare Australia conference in Hobart late last month. As Karen puts it; “Reconciliation cannot be undertaken in a fragmented way, rather as the Body of Christ is united; so too the church must fashion itself to act united in addressing inequality.”

It is comforting to a CEO to know that at least one of your decisions was correct. I know that one of my better decisions during my time with Anglicare in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn was appointing Karen Kime General Manager of Indigenous Services and Education. Earlier this year the mission and justice aspect of her role was brought together with her collation as Archdeacon (at the same service when I was ordained Deacon; it was a good coincidence). Karen is now responsible for identifying mission opportunities across the Tri-Dioceses of Bathurst, Riverina and Canberra-Goulburn.

In her John Roffey Memorial Lecture, Karen argued that mission priorities are undermined when the underlying issues of justice are left unaddressed.

“Reconciliation is everyone’s business and should be the business of each diocese…

Until Aboriginal families and communities are no longer the poorest group within our society, where their life chances are equal to that of other Australians, this must be a priority… there must be real commitment to this task for the mission field is both needy and poor.”

Karen drew on her own life experiences, growing up as a Birripa woman in Cabramatta in Sydney’s south-western suburbs. She described how her mother was arrested because she was merely driving a new car as part of her work requirements. She also cited a host of studies that highlighted the extent of racism: almost 10 percent of Australians believe that Aboriginal people are less intelligent than others; nearly 85 percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people regularly face racism with the majority experiencing racism “often or very often”.

And this in 2012, 45 years after Indigenous Australians were accorded full citizenship.

Karen concludes: “We live and work within a discriminatory environment; where the colour of your skin… provides opportunity for racist and unjust behaviours. Institutions and many working within them have inherited such values that are found in the everyday actions and decision-making processes of Australian society. Such actions are at times unconscious, where colour automatically instigates a negative response… Within the employment sector, a common occurrence includes the attitude that Aboriginal people can only do `Aboriginal jobs’; or that their skills and knowledge are somehow limited.”

Given this broader cultural context, Karen argues over-specialisation in Aboriginal ministry can end up equating to marginalisation. This is an important point that can undermine the support given to Aboriginal church workers often found in remote and unpaid positions.

Unfortunately, there is a clear disparity in the under-representation of Aboriginal people in leadership positions across the national Church.

One antidote is to eschew tokenism and ensure that working with Aboriginal communities, families and individuals is a ‘mainstream’ priority. This is a philosophy applied to the strategic plan initiated during my time leading Anglicare NSW South, NSW West and ACT. Rather than create a separate service stream for Indigenous services, support for Aboriginal communities has been made a key objective of every program area.

Another is to take steps in pursuit of reconciliation. Reconciliation is not cheap because repentance involves concrete restitution for injustice.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “Costly grace is the only pure grace… Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance.” (The Cost Of Discipleship, Simon and Schuster, reprinted 1995). I support these important foundations for the Anglican Church to build reconciliation with the first Australians.

I know the Diocese of Adelaide understands the cost of attempting reconciliation, having been part of the Synod which apologised for sexual abuse, and established the fund that provided support for survivors. As Registrar I worked closely with Archbishop Jeffrey and others in pursuit of reconciliation with those injured. Reconciliation comes at real cost.

So my hope is to build on the work already underway in Anglicare, within the Diocese and the South Australian community, to enable Anglicare to be a strong instrument of reconciliation and of God’s grace in the world.

Jesus said “And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10: 16)

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165 YEARS LATER AND PIONEERS AGAIN An extract from Archbishop Jeffrey Driver’s 2012 Synod Address.

This is a time of opportunity for the Diocese of Adelaide.

We have come through 8-9 years of dealing with the effects of abuse; of drained morale, diminished self-esteem and reduced resources. Two or three years ago we would not have been in the position to embrace the things that we might embrace now. The process of healing had not gone far enough. In three or four years we will not been in a position to embrace the things that we might embrace now.

A rough analysis of our parishes at this time suggests to me that about a third; something like 20 parishes are relatively secure. Another 20 are fragile and another 20 are really struggling. The trajectory and demography of many of those parishes tells me that in five years’ time, or even less, a number of those communities of faith will be at a point from which recovery will be difficult. Unattended, then, incomes will also decline and with that the capacity for creativity will slip away from us. The capacity to develop mission capability at a diocesan level will be diminished.

I say these things not because I want you to be depressed, or to suggest that I have lost all hope, but because I believe we still have a window of opportunity. As a diocese we do not have the large resource base and spread of parishes enjoyed by other metropolitan dioceses, but we do have an ability to become more pioneering and innovative where our smaller economies of scale allow for greater versatility.

The New Testament has a term: “kairos”. It is often translated “time”, but it means more than that – it has the sense of the “right time”, the opportune time; indeed, in biblical thought, God’s opportune time.

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In a previous Synod sermon I referred to the story of the mythical Greek figure, Kairos.

Kairos is a running figure to be captured by a lock of hair only as he approaches. I have the deepest sense of this being a kairos time for the Diocese of Adelaide.

I do not think this is just wishful thinking on my behalf, but something of a swell of spirit emerging within our diocesan community.

I sensed it early this year as I had the privilege of joining in a service for all our schools in our cathedral, with about 15 school chaplains in the chancel, I found myself marveling at the talent and capacity in that ministry team, many of them ordained just in the last few years. I sensed it as the Synod called to consider changes that would enable the building of a new St Barnabas. I sensed it some weeks ago as I dealt with a formation group of about 20 future leaders. It has been decades since we had those numbers emerging.

We no longer feel so hurt. There is more openness to the future. This is the time for pioneering boldness and I am looking for this Synod to embrace the moment.

The current Diocesan Council strategic directions focus on four main areas of our common life. Many parishes who have used our Mission Action Planning resource will know the categories: Grow: To grow existing communities of faith and to develop new communities of faith.

Learn: To develop adaptive leaders for the new emerging Church.

Serve: To develop our prophetic and servant links with the wider community.

Give: To resource the mission of the Diocese.

The changing faces of the Adelaide Diocese

These four categories provide some key principles, but the journey into the future must be an Emmaus Road experience. We must be prepared to travel down the road with Christ as the accompanying stranger.

We must be open to moments of surprising disclosure on the way. We cannot wrap and pack our theologies or strategies beforehand.

There must be a sense in which we allow understandings to emerge as our hearts burn at the things we hear along the road.

“Messy is OK” The emerging Church may not know that worship commences on page 119 of A Prayer Book for Australia and that the answers to some of life’s deepest mysteries may be found in the “Red Book” of Diocesan Ordinances. A light touch will be necessary during initial stages particularly, although we should not be afraid to look for the characteristics of genuine church to emerge; the gathering around Word and Table, the sharing of koinonia, the gift of service.

While it is of the nature of this journey that it cannot be mapped accurately except by making it, there are some characteristics we can look for.

“Failure is a sign of life” Not all new ventures will succeed and the willingness to risk and fail will need to be seen as part of the joyful self-giving of being disciples. The only failure will be the unwillingness to risk, which is a failure of faith.

“Both and” Existing models of Church will need to be supported alongside fresh expressions. We will need a climate of blessing and permission giving to enable the new to emerge alongside of what is without it being seen as a threat.

“Network and neighbourhood” In some places the traditional parish model simply will not work. We will need to develop networks and clusters in which the neighbourhood church can find a new place alongside other specialised ministries and partnerships.

“There is no them” Some of the old distinctions and oppositional positions will need to be gathered up in a new cooperation that actively seeks greater diversity in Anglican ministry and worship, reflecting a variety of cultures in communities and context. Diocesan leadership will not be a “them” at the centre looked to for answers, but a support resource to come alongside local initiative.

“Small is large” We are often impressed by the growth of big churches, but internationally much of the growth of the church is coming through smaller communities. Most of our “fresh expressions” of Church will involve between 25 and 50 people.

Some of the proposals we need to consider will need both spiritual daring and creative resourcing. In order to move into this place of bold decision making, we will need to shed a large part of our debt. This is not just a financial matter, but one of moving spiritually and psychologically into what the Psalmist calls “a

broad space”, where we have the freedom to move and be creative once more. We must not shirk the hard question of resourcing our ministry and mission for the next stage in the life of this diocese. This will involve some hard decisions, but we must not shrink from our responsibility to the future.

This year marks the 165th anniversary of this Diocese. This is the time for vision renewed.

This is the time for the Diocese to recover the spirit that first put in place Synods within the Australian Church and helped pioneer them in the Communion; which set up grand plans for schools in a struggling new colony; whose bishop helped found the State’s first University and among the first in the world with women enrolled; that began a programme of caring for children 152 years ago which is now probably the State’s biggest caring enterprise and one of its 25 largest companies; that planted new congregation after new congregation in the 1950s and 60s.

This is the time for pioneering boldness. This is the time for brave things. Nothing less will be faithful.

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SUSTAINING PLACES OF WORSHIP New ideas for South Australia

By Marie Danvers

If the values for which their buildings are recognised, loved and protected are to be maintained, parishes must harness the passion of their congregations and local communities. This is the main finding of the Sustaining Places of Worship Forum, held recently at St John’s Anglican Church Adelaide.

Jointly coordinated by the State Heritage Unit, Australia ICOMOS and the Anglican Church, the Forum was the brainchild of Scottish architect Ian Hamilton. It was the first time that such an inter-faith forum has been conducted in South Australia. A number of architects and heritage experts took to the floor, with people at the forum spanning clergy, members of building committees, property managers, and representatives from congregations, the Heritage Unit, local councils and schools and colleges.

South Australia has 160 places of worship covering 15 denominations on the Heritage Register.

Ian Hamilton says that the State has a tremendous heritage of ecclesiastical architecture, but churches worldwide are facing the challenge of diminishing resources.

“There is a real passion among people of faith to look at new ways of generating funds, and the forum provided an opportunity to see what other churches—and cities—are doing.

“I’m also interested to hear how the situation in South Australia relates to what’s happening in Scotland, especially Glasgow, where I’ve worked extensively.

“The idea is that people take away some fresh ideas and straightforward advice about ways of generating revenue to provide churches with robust and sustainable futures”, he says.

Elizabeth Vines and Peter Wells

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Peter Wells, principal architect for the State Heritage Unit, provided an historical perspective, with conservation architect Elizabeth Vines OAM going on to stress the importance of a Conservation Management Plan.

“The plan looks at a church holistically, to bring understanding to its historical significance and set down priorities for repair or adaptation work. This means it’s undertaken in a logical, rather than an ad hoc way, saving a lot of time, effort and money.

“The plan also provides the basis for raising funds—through a government grant and/or varying the use of church buildings,” Ms Vines says.

A number of church representatives reported that their fundraising and hence conservation endeavours were underpinned by canvassing their local communities to find out what the needs were—and meeting them—through adaptive reuse of church buildings.

Priest-in-charge at St John’s, Father Christopher Myers says that in some ways churches are finding new ways to exist in their communities.

“The idea is that people take away some fresh ideas and straightforward advice about ways of generating revenue to provide churches with robust and sustainable futures.”

“That close to 100 people attended the forum indicates a real interest in and need for information about harvesting the enormous goodwill for maintaining, conserving and using church buildings,” he says.

The Forum closed with the panel taking questions from the floor around: “What can we do to address the funding challenges faced by our places of worship”. Alan Smith, Director of the State Library, was Chair of the Forum.

Australia ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation of cultural heritage professionals.

For Forum papers, contact: Ian Hamilton: ian.hamilton@sa.gov.au

Anglican Community Engagement

By Daniel Harris Many parishes feel the pinch between being people-focussed communities, as well as custodians of important heritage assets. A surprising and encouraging underlying narrative of the workshop was that these need not be opposing forces, but can be complimentary and a source of rejuvenation.

Indeed the very venue for the event, St John’s Halifax Street, is a marvellous example of the methodical and detailed restoration of a beautiful building over many years, which has engaged the local community. An awareness of its local foundational role ‘in the wilderness’ of colonial times, has enabled the church to become more embedded in its local context.

Another approach is the recent work at St Peter’s Glenelg, where an important heritage building in a central location has been complimented by an exciting contemporary development. This new gathering space acts as a gateway, connecting the church to the surrounding neighbourhood.

The message from these and other examples, and from the array of designers, architects, and parishioners gathered at the workshop, is that sustainable development must be locally driven, and closely aligned to the needs of the supporting community. We encourage every church to think about how the built assets we have inherited can be used in support of mission, and thus sustained into the future.

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New Dean’s passion

By Katrina McLachlan On a recent trip to Wellington I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with The Very Rev’d Frank Nelson, the new Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral, when he was still living and working in New Zealand.

After spending eight years supporting the Diocese of Wellington as Dean of the Cathedral of St Paul, Frank Nelson and his wife Christine were warmly welcomed into the Diocese of Adelaide family at his installation and commissioning service on the 12th of October.

“Our eight years in Wellington were wonderful – full of challenge and interest, celebration and joy. The wide-ranging scope of a Dean’s ministry frequently leaves me breathless,” Frank says.

Frank has a real passion for cathedrals having worked in them throughout his career. Born in South Africa, Frank was ordained a priest in 1979 and believes cathedrals offer unique opportunities for ministry.

“It is the ordinary everyday things that come across the Dean’s plate that make it such a wonderful job – the ‘heart-beat’ of daily worship; the chance conversations with tourists, seekers, office workers; the guidance and guiding of a supportive staff, wardens and vestry all dedicated to making the Cathedral a sacred space of worship, hospitality and education for the whole Diocese to enjoy,” Frank says.

“Cathedral people recognise that their space will always be used by other people and so they warmly welcome people into their space. I truly consider that a cathedral belongs to the whole Diocese.”

Frank believes outsiders often consider cathedrals to be places with strict rules but that the strength of a cathedral is its tradition and out of tradition can come innovation.

“Cathedrals are places of excellence – in music, liturgy and thoughtful worship. If you don’t have a strong tradition then the innovation can become superficial very quickly,” Frank says.

“Cathedrals reach a wide variety of people in many different ways and I have a strong sense that St Peter’s is where God is calling me to exercise the next phase of my priestly ministry.

“I am grateful for the confidence of Archbishop Jeffrey in his issuing of the invitation to me to come to Adelaide and I am looking forward to working closely with him and other colleagues in the Cathedral and the Diocese.”

The Very Rev’d Frank Nelson at the Cathedral of St Paul in Wellington.

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The Rev’d Peter Chilver, Coria and Samuel Chan.

New faces of Adelaide

ANGLICANISM Walk into a growing number of Anglican congregations around Adelaide and you will notice some significant new faces. The realities of living in a much more connected global village can be seen in our own streets and neighbourhoods – and this provides significant missional opportunities and responsibilities for us as a church.

By Bishop Tim Harris

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Migration of course is nothing new.

The movement of new people groups looking to find a new home is an age-long reality.

It just depends how far back you go!

The history of South Australia includes a number of significant stages of migration, and we are in the midst of a new stage - which may well be ongoing.

Just as migration and journeys in search of a new home feature much in the biblical narratives, so too the welcome and hospitality we offer is very much part of our missional calling. The heart of being ‘church’ is to be a gathering community that brings together people of every nation, tribe and background.

Such gathering in the name of Christ is the work of the kingdom, and we can see it before our own eyes.

New faces are coming into our churches from a whole range of directions, whether refugees with their powerful stories which have led to their seeking a home in our midst, through to migrants who reflect the greater movement of people around our globe.

Just as many of our own sons and daughters and wider family are increasingly locating interstate and overseas and we hope they link up with caring communities, we need to be equally mindful of what an enormous difference a helpful and supportive welcome can make in our own context.

We have a growing number of ethnically specific ministries finding a home in our Diocese: from the three Sudanese congregations, the Burundian community integrating with St John’s Salisbury, an exciting

The heart of being ‘church’ is to be a gathering community that brings together people of every nation, tribe and background.

Chinese and Indian congregations

By Peter Chilver and Stuart Langshaw

Mandarin congregation finding a home at St Augustine’s Unley, and most recently two Indian congregations (one Malayalam, the other Tamil) being established with the support of St Clement’s Enfield.

We are aiming to balance two important priorities without bringing them into tension.

On the one hand, we want to recognise and affirm our unity in Christ and our identity as one body and the joys of gathering together in common worship and as one community.

On the other hand, we also need to recognise and affirm distinctive ethnic and cultural identities. Language matters, and the ability of people to learn, communicate and praise God in their ‘heart language’ is important.

Whether this is accommodated within existing gatherings, or through some dedicated services and ministry will vary from location to location.

This goes beyond language questions as well.

There is a range of cultural differences that we shouldn’t underestimate, and allowing greater flexibility in how we do things goes some way to affirm the importance of cultural identity.

The second generation of migrant families will usually adapt more readily to life in Australia and Adelaide, but even then, it is important to maintain and affirm various aspects of originating culture and identity.

While a warm welcome and hospitality is essential, it is not all one way. We are enormously enriched with all that new faces bring to our church communities. The vitality of song and dance is only one notable dimension, but equally important are insights of the wider world and its many realities. Especially valuable are spiritual perceptions and an understanding of God in the midst of the day-to-day realities of life.

Sometimes it is a gift of new friends who enable us to see what we are missing. Many of the new faces of Anglicanism throughout the church communities in our Diocese have much to teach us about living by faith and trusting in the faithfulness of our God, regardless of language or culture.

September 23 marked one year since the first Mandarin Service at St Augustine’s Unley. The past twelve months has been a time of sharing not only of a Church building, but a freshness of sharing a faith journey with more brothers and sisters in Christ and thus experiencing a different culture.

The Chinese congregation leaders Samuel and Coria Chan came to St Augustine’s in search of a bigger space because their Home Church was too small for their enthusiastic congregation. Along with the encouragement of Archbishop Jeffrey and Bishop Tim, the Unley Parish and the Diocese as a whole showed hospitality in the true sense. It has been far more than the offering of a physical space.

“As time goes on we continue to discover the richness of each other’s faith, sharing gifts, pooling our financial recourses and helping out around the Church and Opportunity Shop. We share gifts such as prayer and worship, a different language and introduce to each other new songs to sing,” Peter Chilver says.

“Samuel leads the Mandarin Service and Coria now works across a number of congregations that attend the three Sunday services, with a special focus on ministry with young families.”

“The shared worships when all three congregations meet have taken on a new dimension, as too have the “bring and share lunches” with a diversity of foods reflecting a celebration feasts” Some of the Chinese congregations speak both English and Mandarin, others speak mostly Mandarin and a little English but this doesn’t seem to matter, there is a real sense that together everyone speaks the same language of the Kingdom of God. Another cultural group sharing the Diocese’s space and journey is the Church of South India which was created in 1947 when four Christian traditions came together - Anglican, Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist. Being the amalgamation of so many denominations in such a populous nation, it is to be expected that various language groups come together for worship and fellowship in their own languages.

The Church of South India (CSI) is “in communion” with the Anglican Church of Australia and there are two CSI congregations who have begun meeting at St Clement’s Anglican Church at Enfield. One consists of Malayalam speaking Christians and the other comprises Tamil speaking Christians.

These two groups meet on alternate Sunday afternoons so there is a CSI service each week. The Malayalam congregation meets at 4 pm one week and the Tamil congregation will meet at 3 pm the next week.

The priest who has been authorised by Archbishop Driver to lead worship services for both of the CSI congregations is the Rev’d Samson Asirvatham, parish priest of St Catherine’s, Elizabeth Downs. Samson and his wife, the Rev’d Gethzi Devasagayam, were both ordained in India. The President of the Malayalam congregation is Mr Arjith Simpson.

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WHEN I NEEDED A NEIGHBOUR...

The safe, settled, relatively untroubled lives of most young people in Australia are in sharp contrast to the lives of the young people of Sudan.

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...WERE YOU THERE?

By Archdeacon Paul Mitchell

Six teenagers huddled together closely looking at the pile of photographs. Each picture brought long explanations, smiles and looks of wonder ... then questions or connections being drawn. “So how many people live in a house like this?” “What sports do you play?”

“I remember when ...” All around the room similar conversations were erupting, along with contagious laughter and growing friendships.

Each time our young pilgrims from Adelaide have visited Juba Secondary School this has been the scene. Sharing lives across almost unimaginably different perspectives and worlds, yet finding always common ground and a mutual delight in sharing each other’s lives. The safe, settled, relatively untroubled lives of most young people in Australia are in sharp contrast to the lives of the young people of Sudan. Many of those who we have met have grown up in refugee camps and lived with both simplicity and violence which we can only comprehend in part through media images of countries and people in crisis.

Long perilous journeys to flee, to survive, to escape again, to return home (to homes barely remembered or unknown at all) with hope and energy to rebuild. Being part of the new nation is an inspiring goal which drives young people in Sudan to learn, to achieve, to be able to take their place and to contribute to the future.

And we have the opportunity to be part of this.

Such encounters require boldness, stepping across fears and inhibitions. Our young pilgrims had to be prepared to share their lives even while they knew that the contrast between life here and there was so embarrassingly great. And that boldness also required being open, listening without judging or cringing, being prepared to share tears and to discover laughter. Nothing could be staged or predetermined. These young people were simply brought together and they found ways to communicate deeply. The bonds of

friendship and understanding made at those times are threads which will remain in all of their lives, inspiring and affecting choices from that moment on.

Being confronted by the story of a young person who has seen family members die violently, who has gone days without food, who is bursting with energy and enthusiasm to learn despite having hands almost empty of the tools and resources which we take so easily for granted – this level of confrontation changes a person. Many of our young people who have been on pilgrimage to South Sudan have returned with a bold determination to be part of solutions, to contribute more meaningfully, to make of their lives and choices a positive effect on the world and people around them.

The practical opportunities for partnership are also inspiring. We continue to assist in the development of the Juba Secondary School, focussing on assistance for the provision of classrooms, resources and a hostel which will allow safe education for girls. Beyond Juba we are developing a partnership with the Diocese of Bor where the needs are even greater than in the capital city.

Saint Andrew’s Primary School in Bor has 1600 students, 19 teachers, a few classrooms and very few resources. Classes of over 100 at times

Will you be part of this partnership?

Will you be here (or there) for these our neighbours?

Some of those choices and life directions will involve South Sudan or other parts of the world. Some will be expressed through a deeper engagement in already existing career paths. Yet boldness to take the experience, the knowledge, the encounter and to do something creative for and with God resonates through the group who have engaged in the Archbishop’s Youth Pilgrimages.

The personal impact is astounding. Each group of pilgrims has also produced one or two young people who have stepped up to become leaders for the next pilgrimage, mentoring a growing group of their peers to explore what God is doing in our world beyond the safe, secure, stable leafy green suburbs of Adelaide.

St Andrew’s Primary School

clamour to see the lessons being inscribed on the faded blackboard. Most of the children in the school are doing well if they have one meal every second day. Yet they are eager to learn and optimistic about the future. The teachers are mostly unpaid and with little training. They teach, then farm in the evening or weekends to give themselves some income, yet they are determined to be part of supporting these young people who have such a passion to learn and to contribute to life. And so are we. We are partners with them and without what we can share so relatively easily their task will be enormously greater.

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We are exploring partnership with the Mothers Union in Bor for provision of at least one meal a day for the students of the school. The Mothers Union will buy, cook and serve the meals. They only need the resources to establish the kitchen and to purchase the food. $1000 a week will feed these children. That is a partnership which requires boldness and commitment both here and there.

Students at St Andrew’s Primary School

We are also exploring the provision of buildings and resources for a medical clinic on the edge of Bor town. The land has been donated by the local community. The Government health service has pledged to provide the staff and to run the clinic. What is needed from our side in this partnership are the funds to build and resource the clinic. It is a practical opportunity to make an immediate impact on the lives of people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Approximately $50,000, together with money already raised by Lindy Driver’s indefatigable fundraising for South Sudan, will make this immediately possible.

Our partnership in South Sudan has many faces – schools, medical facilities, theological education and ongoing sharing of what it means to be brothers and sisters of Christ in the family of the church. Real partnerships need real commitment, ongoing relationships, ongoing contact. In addition to the biennial Archbishop’s Youth Pilgrimages we continue to be engaged with the people of South Sudan. Our visits there help to ensure accountability on both sides to the commitments which we have undertaken.

They allow us to clarify the needs which are real and present, which may not always be apparent from a distance. And the visits foster the relationships which are at the heart of our engagement there.

Our partnership is shared with and through ABM and donations for some projects can be directed there. For more information see the ABM website - www.abmission.org Will you be part of this partnership? Will you be here (or there) for these our neighbours?

Hope for the future The Archbishop’s Pilgrimage is an exciting trip and opportunity for young adults in the diocese, offering a chance to see the gospel in action in the very place that Christianity was born. For three weeks in January 2013, a group of sixteen will take advantage of this opportunity and embark on a pilgrimage through Israel and Ethiopia.

As a member of a trip in 2011, I was able to see the positive impact of this trip on the people we met and interacted with, the members of the trip and, in particular, on myself. It is easy in our society to lose track of what is important and glory in our own achievements and accomplishments. Often we take this attitude into the way that we do mission; our prevailing attitude focuses on what we, as privileged although relatively inexperienced Australians, can do to help.

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In contrast, one of the profound experiences and emotions pervading the trip is one of hopelessness. Pilgrims will look around at a thirteen year-old girl naked in the street nursing her newborn child and realise that there is nothing practical that they can do to help. They will hear from refugees who exist on a mere cup of rice daily, that they have lost everything, and have no home to ever return to; refugees who they will later discover have forgone rations for themselves and their families to have the opportunity to meet the young pilgrims.

These men and women will be driven to ask the same question as each pilgrim before them: What does a privileged universityeducated Australian like me have to offer?

Each will discover that their answer can only come from the Cross, that glorious paradox

of our faith where in hopelessness, we find hope. It was at the cross where Jesus died, that life was bought for us. It was in defeat that victory was won. And it is this reality that I experienced so vividly.

What changes people is not humanity’s well-intentioned actions, but rather the transforming power of the gospel – a lifechanging realisation that I pray will grip each of the 16 pilgrims; the truth that for all people, whether materially rich or poor, it is only the hope that the Cross brings that will ultimately fulfil and save, spurring us on to greater deeds.

Jonathan Hamer Co-Leader of the Archbishops Pilgrimage 2013.

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Parish Partnerships with Anglicare

A BIGGER PICTURE

By Peter Burke - Manager, Pastoral Care and Parish Development, Anglicare SA

Parishes in the Diocese of Adelaide currently engaged in a partnership with Anglicare have a variety of expressions. This includes the use of parish property for an Anglicare service; parish based service projects supported by Anglicare through the Parish Community Engagement Fund; small ongoing service programs such as monthly or weekly community gatherings; and larger ongoing service programs with multiple programs.

The common feature of all of these partnerships is that people from parishes and Anglicare plan and work together to provide a service to people in the wider community as a visible expression of the mission of the church.

Australian Anglicans have sought to respond over time to the needs and hopes of their communities as an expression of a combined commitment to active citizenship and the mission of the church.

The journey began for me in 1980 when I became a parish based social worker at St Mark’s Fitzroy, Melbourne – a thing that was quite unheard of at the time! Successive work through Diocesan, ecumenical and Anglicare organisations over 30 years has always involved direct work with parishes seeking to become more fully engaged in their local community and at times a desire to develop an Anglicare partnership. Interestingly, St Mark’s Community Centre Fitzroy, which I helped to establish in 1980, was a parish-based program until two years ago when it sought a partnership with Anglicare Victoria.

Anglicare Australia as part of its national networking role has a specific network for people interested in Anglicare Chaplaincy and Parish Community Work. It is my privilege to convene this network twice a year. There are over 50 people from almost every Diocese in Australia involved as well as representatives from the Anglican Care Network in New Zealand. The network gathering in Auckland in March this year attracted 40 people with equal numbers from both sides of the Tasman. And the recent gathering in association with the Anglicare Australia Conference in Hobart in mid September 2012 saw 25 participants including four from New Zealand and two from Singapore, gather together.

There is nothing quite like the Anglicare movement in Australia anywhere else in the Anglican Communion. This includes the development in most Dioceses of large government funded organisations connected in various ways with Diocesan and parish life. This is a reflection of how

The energy seems to be rising in relation to how Anglicare organisations work creatively with parishes to engage in serving the local community.

There is a rising interest in parishes working in partnership with Anglicare organisations. This often includes a deliberate attempt to grow the life of

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the church, not just numerically, but also the strength of community connectedness, the quality of ministry and the sense of being genuinely engaged with people in a visible and holistic way.

Parish Partnerships with Anglicare organisations work well where there is good communication, shared vision and commitment and a clear sense of what each contributes and gains from the relationship. People focused partnerships undergird the organisational partnership including partnership between parish laity and clergy and partnership between volunteers and professionals. The capacity of parish clergy, lay leaders and Anglicare staff to understand and experience each other as colleagues is vital.

For some people parish partnership is well known but to others it’s new and unchartered territory. There are stories of failure and triumph in such partnerships and much to learn from both. Parish Partnerships with Anglicare is part of a broader movement of the Spirit to re-imagine the life of the church. Parish Partnerships with Anglicare can be seen as having a connection with what we now call fresh expressions and pioneer ministries. It is not necessarily one and the same thing, but it is related. One can lead to the other and the two can co-exist and confirm each other as long as the approach to mission is truly holistic.

Parish Partnerships with Anglicare focus on meeting the needs and hopes of people in the community in a holistic way – body, mind and spirit. This presents a challenge to both parish and Anglicare people involved where there can be a tendency at times to divide things up into compartments. In some ways parishes need to be more like Anglicare in valuing and responding effectively to the ordinary day to day needs and hopes of people. In some ways Anglicare needs to be more like parishes in valuing and responding effectively to the spiritual needs and hopes of people alongside every other need and hope.

Parish Partnerships with Anglicare are about growing together as people and as organisations.

It is a shared journey inspired by the servant leadership of Jesus.

It is part of the past, present and future mission of the church.

It is about the needs and hope of others more than about ourselves, but who we are together in the partnership matters a great deal if it is to be effective.

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Tai Chi

When a community organisation comes to a parish church seeking space for its activities it is not always possible to say ‘yes.’

Especially if the parish already has a range of activities of its own every day of the week. Whenever possible though, making space and sharing facilities provides a parish with more direct contact with the wider community and makes the life of the local church more visible.

This is what has happened at St Luke’s Whitmore Square. While St Luke’s already offers a range of ministries among local people through its own community centre and opportunity shop, some space was available in the parish facilities when the Chinese community needed a place to meet together. The parish were approached by Chinese Welfare Services SA with a view to establishing an activity program for seniors.

Martyn Woodsford, Priest at St Luke’s says “St. Luke’s was able to provide a central location that allowed them to spend a morning together once a week that includes activities such as Tai Chi and ends with a shared meal. They didn’t have much money, but that shouldn’t stop people being taken in and cared for. So we took them in and reduced our normal hire rate.”

The next thing the parish did was to help the Chinese community group provide the food and other amenities for the shared meal. St Luke’s parish applied for an Anglicare Parish Community Engagement Fund Grant for a ‘Chinese Talk to Talk’ program which included a focus on interaction between Chinese community members and others. The grant application was successful. Martyn Woodsford says that “Through the gracious assistance of Anglicare the Chinese community now use our facilities two days a week and we have had the pleasure of hosting a traditional Cantonese opera a couple of months ago.”

Valuing the community connections we have on our own doorstep can be a vital expression of our care for the community and can bear potential for future engagement in mission. It also provides us with opportunities to connect with people we usually would not connect with including people from cultural groups that are different to our own.

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“I can’t just sit around and let life pass me by... I have been with this church for 35 years – it is my hall, my area, my people.

This is a wonderful outlet for Semaphore.”

Breakfast Club “We average about 30 people each day but at the beginning of winter we fed 100 people in two days.”

On a brisk winter morning in late August, a group of a dozen men and women are huddled together by the doors of St Bede’s DropIn Centre at Semaphore.

It is where most of them are every Tuesday and Wednesday to take advantage of the breakfast program, run by Anglicare and St Bede’s Parish.

Mainly residents of local boarding houses, many of them have mental health or drug and alcohol issues and limited work capacity. The breakfast program is not just about food but also social opportunities, creating a community and a safe place.

Mick Ryan used to come as a client and now volunteers as a helper. “I’ve been doing it for about six years and I’ve never missed a day and I’ve never been late,” he says.

Mick says some of these men and women know each other and even live in the same residence but won’t talk to each other there.

“Here they are all mates, any problems are left at the door,” Mick says. “They play pool, cards, have a chat, drink a cuppa.”

Darryle Nottle-Justice is the Anglicare coordinator and says there is a core group that comes most days. “We occasionally get backpackers and passers by dropping in but it is mostly locals.”

Semaphore has the highest ratio of boarding houses in SA and the residents often don’t have a choice of food or meal times. “They are regimented, controlled and almost institutionalised,” Darryle says.

Meals are served at set times and food often goes cold. At St Bede’s they can enjoy freshly cooked toast, scrambled eggs, hot coffee and even ice cream for breakfast. “We make no special meals to order,” Darryle says, “but we have enough variety that most can find something they like.”

Peter, ‘the cornflake man’, enjoys socialising and having a good time while Dave loves the food and the hot Milo. Ramondo is deaf and mute and despite no one being able to communicate with him using sign language, he manages

to get his messages across between body language and some scribbled notes.

Jill Rivers is Anglicare’s parish community engagement worker and attends the breakfast program every Wednesday. “It is so good to see these people as part of a wider community. Here they have a family, some have even started going to Church.”

While that is challenging for some parishioners, Jill says they are being accepted by a wider group of people.

“The life of the parish reflects the life of the community - a diverse congregation full of passionate and committed people.”

The simple hospitality and friendly environment provide a warm and welcoming place for those who may not have much warmth in their lives.

Sally Pentland is a parishioner and began volunteering when she could no longer continue her paid work. “I can’t just sit around and let life pass me by,” she says. “I have been with this church for 35 years – it is my hall, my area, my people. This is a wonderful outlet for Semaphore.”

The breakfast program runs at St Bede’s, 200 Military Road Semaphore, every Tuesday and Wednesday with volunteer staff starting at 7am to get things ready.

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JADAPP Chair changes

After three and a half years as Chair of the Joint Anglicare - Diocese of Adelaide Parish Partnerships Committee (JADAPP) Lange Powell has handed the baton to Peter Chilver.

Since its formation in 2008, JADAPP has been driven by two key motivators - a desire to contribute to the broader goal of creating closer spiritual, relational, strategic and operational ties between Anglicare and the Anglican Church across the Diocese and recognition that the mission of parishes and Anglicare are often in harmony, even where this is not explicitly stated.

There are currently 24 parish partnerships with Anglicare within the Diocese of Adelaide and Lange Powell says others are being explored.

“Parishes can offer a local, low-key environment for socially-isolated or otherwise disadvantaged people, often providing relationship-building opportunities that may not be so readily available through more traditional service delivery structures and professional approaches to care,” he says.

“This low-key support, week-in week-out, is a really important factor in people’s quality of life, so I’m particularly pleased that over the past three years, Anglicare has been willing to quite substantially increase its contribution to parish community engagement work.”

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Community engagement work will face many challenges from the population changes and rising costs of living that are shaping other aspects of church life in most parishes.

Peter Chilver will continue to guide JADAPP as it responds to these challenges by increasing co-operative ventures across parish boundaries and strengthening the links between Christian community service and the growing emphasis in the Diocese on mission and evangelism.

“I trust we can continue in the good work which Lange and the team have achieved,” Peter says.

“There are many exciting ventures already happening and a lot of what JADAPP is about is sharing the gifts we have entrusted to us, encouraging one another, reviving the old and celebrating the new possibilities of the Kingdom of God that is right on our doorsteps.”

SCHOOLS

Creating opportunities for excellence Walford Anglican School for Girls warmly welcomed Mrs Rebecca Clarke as the eighth Principal of the school at the beginning of term four. After serving as the Deputy and Acting Head of Woodcroft College, South Australia’s third largest independent school, Rebecca is thrilled to be back at Walford, where she had previously been Head of Middle School.

A passionate advocate for independent girls’ education Rebecca is committed to creating opportunities for girls to excel.

“Walford’s culture is one which values hard work and aspiring to achieve one’s personal best, and I see my role as critical in facilitating the conditions which will allow this to continue, Rebecca says.

“This involves supporting teachers to work collaboratively, to encourage all members of our school to see themselves as active and continuous learners and for us all to recognise that what we say, do, and how we do it matters not only in the lives of our young female scholars, but more widely, both within and outside of our community.”

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be inspiring young minds to be creative, resourceful and resilient as well as the opportunities we have to encourage students to care for themselves, each other and the environment.”

Rebecca’s priority is to get to know all members of the school community and the upcoming Jubilee celebrations for Walford’s 120th year will provide many opportunities for this to happen.

“I am fortunate to have worked with many of the staff and students in the past when I served as Head of the Middle School. Walford’s community is very special in that all who are part of it contribute to its warmth and generosity of spirit and I am keen to ensure that I can work to maintain and contribute to this positive culture,” Rebecca says.

Left to right: Michaela Zadow (School Captain), Meg Barnett (Vice Captain), Pamela Martin (Chair Walford Council), Rebeca Clarke (Principal) and the Archbishop.

Rebecca’s qualifications are impressive and include a Master Degree in Educational Management and more recently a PostGraduate Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Adelaide.

Walford has been educating girls with the Anglican faith at its core for more than a hundred years.

“We aim to nurture an education that promotes tolerance, understanding, inclusivity and respect as a pervading influence,” Rebecca says.

including a strong association with the Mary Magdalene Centre.”

“I am tremendously excited about the challenge ahead. I feel a great sense of privilege as I begin at Walford as Principal and I feel blessed to have been invited to lead the school in this way.”

In addition to her busy career, Rebecca enjoys a fulfilling family life with her husband James Pyke and is mother to Thomas and stepmother to Oliver, William and Annabelle.

“Our students have a strong desire to serve others and this is evident in the many community service activities they contribute to

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SCHOOLS

St Columba’s

CALL TO WORSHIP

By James Tamblyn

St Columba College, in the northern Adelaide suburb of Andrews Farm, is the ďŹ rst joint Anglican and Catholic school in Australia. Formed in 1996 as an ecumenical venture between the two Archbishops of the day, Ian George and Leonard Faulkner, St Columba has grown from a Primary School of approximately 200 students to a Reception - Year 12 College of over 1400 students. The College is founded on the strength of its Anglican and Catholic partnership, and is most excited about a new partnership being formed as it endeavours to establish itself as an Anglican centre of worship for its young people and the wider community.

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Two of the College’s teaching stalwarts, Paula Thorpe and Michael Lane, are currently ordinands within the Archdiocese of Adelaide. Both have taught at the school for more than ten years and have been instrumental in ensuring that the Anglican and Catholic nature of St Columba remains at the heart of all learning. If successful as candidates for ordination, Paula and Michael will ultimately be ordained as priests with local licenses to preside over the Eucharist at St Columba College.

Paula is currently the Careers Counsellor at St Columba and feels called to present to the students a style of worship, and ultimately Eucharist, which respects and stays true to traditional Anglican worship, but also embraces contemporary elements of Anglican fellowship which appeal more broadly to the young people of the College.

“The traditional model of Church is not necessarily resonating with our students,” Paula says. “The opportunity to make the Church and its views relevant to kids and get the voice across is essentially what we are trying to achieve.”

“In our experience, many young people have become increasingly distanced from the Church and if we can re-energise these students through a fresh expression of Church it will be wonderful.”

Michael is the Head of Teaching and Learning at St Columba and, like Paula, hopes to play a key role in the growth of St Columba as a centre of worship.

“My experiences as a teacher, a leader of learning, and a committed Anglican have brought me to this decision to pursue ordination,” reflects Michael. “As a young person my involvement with the Church was very positive and it had a considerable impact on the person I have become. The opportunities for me to form relationships with people from different generations provided me with many rich experiences and memories. I firmly believe that the Church still has a great deal to offer today’s youth. My executive leadership role also calls me to support teachers to provide

outstanding learning opportunities to our students. At St Columba, central to all quality learning is an understanding of Christ’s teachings. Through ordination I hope to be a faithful role model to all our families, and a support to those worshipping in our community.”

Madeleine Brennan, who has been Principal of St Columba since its inception, is excited about the prospect of having two locally ordained priests working full time at the College. “Both Paula and Michael are wonderful servants of St Columba and we are blessed to have two such dedicated staff who are both being called to take this step in their ministry at the College. We have very strong connections to both our Anglican and Catholic parishes, and work closely with our local priests. These relationships will continue, but they will be beautifully complimented by the work that Paula and Michael will be able to do when they complete their ordination journeys. We look forward with great anticipation to this time.”

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GOD WORDS

“Stick and stones may break my bones, but words….”

By The Rev’d Dr Matthew Anstey Just when some thought that the spoken word was on the endangered species list, soon to be supplanted by an entirely visual culture, in October 2012 along came news of a rather well-known radio commentator’s remarks on the Prime Minister’s late father.

In the weeks following these remarks, the phenomenal power of words has been on display once again. We’ve seen the capacity of words on the one hand to convey shock, to obfuscate, to deflect, to say one thing and mean another, and on the other, to apologise, to offer comfort, to speak the truth courageously.

We experience these things in our own lives on a daily basis, in families, workplaces, churches, and the like. But our awareness of the power of words is acutely heightened when such incidents occur in public and political spheres.

None of this verbal potency should come as a surprise to followers of Jesus: • “Friend, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:20 NRSV) • “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way and from now on do not sin again” (John 8:11 NRSV) • “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:3 NRSV).

Not only was Jesus able to use words to transform lives, he taught with profound insight about the ways of speaking: • “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Mat 5:37 NRSV)

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• “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases…Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven…” (Mat 6:7ff NRSV) And Jesus shared whole parables about what we do with words and how we respond to God’s word, such as the Parable of the Sower.

Or as in the Sermon on the Mount, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock….” (Mat 7:24 NRSV).

And let’s not forget that Jesus didn’t mince his words if need be: • “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”

(John 2:16 NRSV) • “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.”

(Mat 23:27 NRSV) As my American friend would say, “Them’s fightin’ words!”

But here’s the real twist in the story: John’s Gospel says that Jesus is the word. Jesus is the logos – Greek for “word”. The One who has the words of eternal life, as Simon Peter puts it (John 6:68) is the Word.

And this “simple” theological statement starts to generate all sorts of remarkable formulations.

Think of it this way: Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus speaks the words of God. The Scriptures are the word of God, telling us about Jesus and his words. And we get this from preachers more often than not.

So the preacher conveys a word of God (the gospel) based on the word of God (Scripture) which testifies the Word of God (Jesus) who spoke the word of God (Truth).

What a fascinating play on words (pun intended!).

There is a temptation at this point to cut through (or cut apart) this rich tapestry and opt for a simplified formula – “The Bible is the Word of God. Full stop!” or “Jesus is the Word of God. Full stop!”, but much is lost if we give up this rich, evocative formulation for a simplistic one-liner. This is because the “power” of words lies for us in this profound, evocative, and at times mysterious link between human language and divine language.

So if we truly believe that words can create the world, forgive sins, transform lives, call us to surrender all, and that Jesus is the Word, then as followers of this Jesus, we of all people ought to recognise the potency of words and so fashion our language in ways that give life and hope and truth.

And we shouldn’t need radio commentators to remind us of this.

BOOKS 2012 Australian Christian Literature Awards The Australian Christian Book of the Year Award is given annually to an original book written by an Australian and published by an Australian publisher. The Award recognises and celebrates excellence in Australian Christian writing and carries a prize of $2,500.

Gumbuli of Ngukurr: Aboriginal elder in Arnhem Land Murray Seiffert Few indigenous Australians have been the subject of so rigorous a biography. This is a unique and timely contribution to the story of Aboriginal engagement with western culture and Christianity and no significant consequence of this encounter has been overlooked. While not typical of the colonial experience, the story of the man Michael Gumbuli Wurramara and the place Ngukurr does, nevertheless, challenge and correct numerous popular assumptions about the relationship between government, missions and Aborigines. At times this makes for profoundly uncomfortable and provocative reading. It is always informative. Seiffert fearlessly incorporates a wide range of views and honestly evaluates the reliability of his sources which are many and varied. Gumbuli is an example of an indigenous leader emerging from the church. His appraisal of traditional beliefs, customs and ceremonies and his dialogue with Tanzanian and Ugandan Christians are fascinating. These missiological case studies are of universal interest. Gumbuli was ordained priest in 1973 and in 2010 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, ‘for service to the Anglican Church of Australia through a range of pastoral care and advisory roles, as a supporter of the production of the Kriol Bible, and to the community of Ngukurr’.

This singular story of indigenous protagonism, self-determination and leadership in the face of overwhelming obstacles—hostile opposition, blind ignorance and numbing indifference— maps a way forward for the peoples of this continent.

Entries are judged with an eye to the: original nature of the work, literary style, suitability for the target audience, competence and expertise displayed by the author, design and layout and contribution that the book makes in meeting a need for Christian writing in Australia.

A short history of Christianity Geoffrey Blainey A consummate storyteller takes on the greatest story ever told. Blainey deftly weaves together epic events, developments and movements. He pauses, when instructive, to examine sometimes obscure episodes and people. The result is a simple yet breathtaking narrative. Blainey’s impartialit is especially evident in his treatment of major conflicts, such as the Reformation. It is significant that in an increasingly Christophobic society, a prominent historian at the peak of his prestige has written an accessible history that places Jesus at the centre of human history.

Love, tears and autism: An Australian mother’s journey from heartbreak to hope Cecily Paterson A transparent and gripping testimony of radical personal transformation under stress.

Paterson shares how her experiences with her son Cameron challenged her own faith, pride and need for control and enabled them both to grow. In a culture which denies suffering and devalues the lives of people with disabilities the story of Cecily and Cameron is a powerful and necessary witness. This book is at the same time profoundly inspiring and practical. An antidote for those of us addicted to comfort and afraid to love.

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NATIONAL AND Update on the Crown Nominations Commission of the Church of England

“I hope all members of Synod will now reflect carefully on what the Bishops have decided and will continue to give thought and prayer to how they will vote in November.”

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) has been accompanied by much speculation about possible candidates and the likely timing of an announcement of the name of who will succeed Dr Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury when he steps down to become Master of Magdalene College.

At its meeting in July the General Synod asked the House of Bishops to reconsider a provision in the legislation - Clause 5(1)(c) of the draft measure. The new amendment submitted by the Rev. Janet Appleby during the consultation process received overwhelming support from the House of Bishops in both their discussions and in the final vote.

The CNC is an elected, prayerful body. Its meetings are necessarily confidential to enable members to fulfil their important responsibilities for discerning who should undertake this major national and international role. Previous official briefings have indicated that an announcement is expected during the autumn and that remains the case; the work of the Commission continues. There will be no comment on any speculation about candidates or about the CNC’s deliberations.

Dr Williams remains in office until the end of December.

In discussion the Bishops welcomed the simplicity of the new text, its emphasis on respect and the process of dialogue with parishes that it will promote.

“I am convinced that the time has come for the Church of England to be blessed by the ministry of women as bishops and it is my deep hope that the legislation will pass in November.”

The final text proposed by the House of Bishops is: Substitute for the words in clause 5(1)(c):” the selection of male bishops and male priests in a manner which respects the grounds on which parochial church councils issue Letters of Request under section 3” The House also agreed to establish a group to develop the illustrative draft Code of Practice published in January to give effect to the new provision.

Women Bishops: Draft Legislation The House of Bishops has, by an overwhelming majority, settled the text of the legislation to enable women to become bishops in the Church of England.

The House of Bishops made clear its desire for the draft legislation to be passed into law when it goes forward for final approval to the Church of England’s General Synod in November.

Speaking on behalf of the House at the conclusion of their meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams said:

The Reverend Gloria Shipp, from the Gamilaroi tribe in New South Wales, was elected Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council by members at their Annual Gathering in Brisbane in September.

“Since women were first made priests in the Church of England in 1994, their ministry has hugely enriched both church and society. It has become increasingly clear to most of us that barring women from becoming bishops is an anomaly that should be removed, for the good of the Church’s mission and service.

Gloria, the Indigenous Ministry Coordinator and Chaplain at Orana Juvenile Justice Centre in the Parish of Dubbo (Diocese of Bathurst), is the first woman to be elected as Chair.

“In July this year, the General Synod asked the House of Bishops to reconsider an alteration it had made to the proposed legislation on this subject. The Bishops have taken very seriously the anxieties expressed about the possible implications of their amendment and there has been widespread consultation since then. We are very grateful for all the points and suggestions offered by synod members and others.

“The work achieved since the inception of the Council in 1992 is testimony to the previous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members and leaders within the Anglican Church of Australia.”

“In light of this consultation, the Bishops have discussed the measure again and are now bringing forward a new text that expresses both our conviction of the need to see this legislation passed and our desire to honour the conscience and contribution of those in the Church of England whose reservations remain.

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New NATSAIC Chair First woman elected in 21 years

“It is particularly significant and welcome that the new text emerged not from the House of Bishops itself but rather from a serving woman priest.

When told of her appointment Gloria said she was “excited and honoured to be elected Chair.”

Gloria has been a part of NATSIAC since its inception 21 years ago.

“We will continue to promote the need for the Church to assist, encourage and resource ministries in the Torres Strait Islands and in mainland Australia. Our present aim is to have another National Aboriginal Bishop.”

“I believe we can play a significant role in promoting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and spirituality and incorporating them within the life and worship of the Anglican Church. I would also like to

INTERNATIONAL NEWS see significant occasions acknowledged and celebrated in the Anglican Church as a whole, for example National Sorry Day, the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation, and NAIDOC Week, to begin with,” Gloria said.

with her on the board of HOPE Africa. She is well known, respected, and liked throughout Southern Africa, and we thank God for this new chapter in her life and ministry, and the life of False Bay Diocese.’

“One of the discussions that took place at the recent Gathering was the need for a Youth Leadership camp to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders within the Anglican Church and to also become a part of NATSIAC.”

The Rev’d Canon Vertue and the Rev’d Ellinah Ntombi Wamukoya, bishopelect of Swaziland, are scheduled to be consecrated as bishops together

by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, head of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, in the coming months.

The 27 NATSIAC members present elected Chris McLeod, Priest from the Diocese of Adelaide, as Deputy Chair, Bruce Boase, Priest in the Diocese of Brisbane as Secretary, and Shannon Smith, Priest in the Diocese of Riverina as Treasurer.

The Archbishop of Cape Town said ‘In the last few months, we have had four episcopal elections, electing two women and two men. It seems the Holy Spirit is not finished with us, but is taking us further onwards into this new stage of our Church’s life. We give great thanks to God.’

The retiring Chair, Archdeacon Brian Kirk from the Diocese of Armidale, and laywoman, Rose Elu from Brisbane were elected as General Synod Standing Committee members.

The 2013 NATSIAC Gathering will be held in the Diocese of the Northern Territory in September.

Returnees in South Sudan in need of our help to restart their lives After decades of conflict and displacement, returnees from Sudan to South Sudan are facing huge difficulties to restart their lives. According to the United Nation Office for the Organisation of Humanitarian Affairs, around 123,000 people have returned this year.

Despite the raising of hopes for going back home, the situation for people arriving is very complicated. The relief and development coordinator of the Diocese of Rejaf, Episcopal Church of Sudan, Mr Bullen Pitya, explains how returnees could not bring along their things, as they were flown from Sudan to Juba with minimum personal belongings.

Second female Anglican bishop elected by Southern Africa A South African woman has been elected as the second female Anglican bishop in Africa. Canon Margaret Vertue, the senior priest in a diocese which includes most of the poorer suburbs of greater Cape Town, was elected bishop of the Diocese of False Bay on Wednesday October 3rd.

The second of two women elected to the episcopacy in recent months, Canon Vertue was one of the two first woman priests to be ordained in Cape Town by Archbishop Desmond Tutu 20 years ago.

Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said, ‘I am absolutely delighted that the Rev’d Canon Margaret Vertue has been elected the next Bishop of the Diocese of False Bay’.

‘Margaret was my junior when we were both training for ordination at the College of the Transfiguration - then St Paul’s, and I have worked closely

They have been temporarily accommodated in a transit camp at Kabu, at the outskirts of Juba town, in the compound of a Teachers’ Training Institute. The returnees are expected to continue their journey and resettle in their villages, or towns of origin. However, as many of them had lived in Khartoum for a long time, over a period of 21 years of war, they do not seem to know their original villages.

Returnees have been asked to vacate the installation of the training institute within few weeks. The Central Equatoria State has provided a new land, the Kuda village in the north of Juba town, for their permanent resettlement. The International Organisation for Migration is providing the transport to their new home but they do not have anything to restart their life since they left all behind.

Anglicans around the world have been helping communities affected by the civil war in Sudan and South Sudan. The North American Episcopal Relief and Development and the Australian Anglican Board of Mission work in partnership to support the health service provided by the church in Sudan. They also provide emergency relief though SUDRA and have permanent appeals to help the affected communities and build the local capacity of the church.

All stories sourced from ACNS.

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PEOPLE AND PLACES 2012 Remembrance Business Breakfast

Parish Support Manager

An invitation has been extended to anyone interested to attend the Repat Foundation’s Remembrance Business Breakfast to be held on Friday 9th November from 7.15 am at the Adelaide Town Hall.

Daniel Harris recently joined the Diocesan Office Team taking up the new position of Parish Support Manager.

Daniel has experience working with other Christian organisations, including seven years at Baptist Care (SA) starting in IT, finishing as Director of Operations, and most recently with Bible College SA as Development Manager.

This year the key note speaker will be Major General John Cantwell AO, DSC. He will share his story, and also the story of thousands of Australian veterans from Iraq, East Timor, Afghanistan and other conflicts who bare similar emotional scars.

To book a table or individual seats please contact Sal Coltman or Jan Chorley on 08 8275 1039.

Hope Springs Today and Tomorrow Sunday 28 October 2012 at 2.30pm.

St Peter’s Cathedral North Adelaide Featuring the music of the Adelaide Benefit Concert Choir, community choirs and emerging and seasoned musicians.

Suggested $20 or $10 concession or donation – payment at the door.

Compere: Ewart Shaw Radio Adelaide 101.5 FM Organist: Mark Joyner Speaker: Lindy Driver Funds raised in support the work of the Juba Health Centre in Southern Sudan through The Archbishop’s Africa Appeal.

Further information: Contact Doris on 0409 671 031 For those interested in singing in the Adelaide Benefit Concert Choir contact Joan Claring- Bould on 0409 520 823 or joancb@adam.com The Adelaide Benefit Concert Choir is an ecumenical community choir dedicated to good music, good fun and fundraising for good causes.

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Daniel’s addition to the team compliments the changing nature of Diocesan Office to be an enabler of mission and evangelism, and assisting our congregations to better adapt to change. Whether through making a cumbersome procedure more lightweight, or connecting two people with complementary skills and ideas, Daniel together with the team aims to ensure Diocesan Office works to extend and enhance the work of mission.

Keith Stephens, Registrar is “delighted to welcome Daniel to the office at a time when we are embarking on great strategies of change. The Diocesan Office Team has countless contact points throughout the Anglican network in Adelaide and beyond, and into this Daniel brings a wide and unique skillset, together with his own diverse networks.

His insights into Church activities will compliment and strengthen the extremely talented and dedicated team we have.”

An Anglican with a strong affection for the Church Daniel, together with his wife Philippa, Genevieve (2 ½) and Rowan (3 months), worships as part of the 10.30 congregation at St Matthew’s Kensington.

Daniel also succeeds Peter Jarvis as Deputy Registrar. Peter remains in the Anglican family being recently appointed at Registrar in the Diocese of Ballarat, and leaves a substantial legacy of consolidation and rigorous administration for which the Diocese of Adelaide is immensely grateful.

ST JOHN’S CHRISTMAS FAIR St John’s Halifax Street is having a Christmas Fair in their beautiful gardens on Friday, November 16th from 6 pm to 8.30 pm.

We are also excited that the St John’s Junior Choir from Salisbury will be providing entertainment on the evening. It is guaranteed that there will be lots of fun, food and very affordable Christmas gifts for sale.

We would love to see you there.

Healing Gifts for Wounded Hands Healing Gifts for Wounded Hands was the theme of the various conversations and presentations by Professor Paul D Murray, Centre for Catholic Studies, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, during his recent visit to South Australia. The focus was on the promise and potential of Receptive Ecumenism.

“At the heart of Receptive Ecumenism,” Professor Murray says, “is the conviction that further substantial progress in ecumenism is possible but only if a fundamental, counterinstinctual move is made away from each tradition wishing that others could be more like themselves to instead each asking what they can and must learn, with dynamic integrity, from their respective others.”

Taking the Receptive Ecumenical approach will require us to set aside our ‘best china’, to lean into the Spirit and to offer one another, instead, our wounded hands. In doing this, we would be inviting the other to minister to us, in ways that are loving, trusting and respectful.

SA Council of Churches believes that the approach taken by Receptive Ecumenism will engender a new disposition and lead to fostering unity not only across the Churches, but also within our respective traditions. SACC is currently facilitating a range of discussions with individuals and agencies to consider how Receptive Ecumenism can come alive in local initiatives.

Hymns of Glory Recording Invitation While most people are out and about enjoying the spring sunshine, Choristers from St Peter’s Cathedral are busy preparing for Christmas. In addition to the usual services this year the Choir is delighted to have been asked to sing a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols to be broadcast on ABC television on Christmas Eve. “Our Cathedral was asked to present the first of the Hymns of Glory series in 2006, and it is a privilege to have been invited to sing this year’s service,” Leonie Hempton, the Director of Music says.

The repertoire for the service includes both time-honoured and contemporary carols, including several by living composers from around the world. The Choir’s Carols have been especially chosen to complement the readings, which tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. In addition, there will be the opportunity for the congregation present to raise their voices with the Choir in singing traditional Christmas Carols, such as Away in a Manger and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

“This will be a lovely way of communicating the message of Christmas to the community around Australia, especially those who are unable to attend a service at Christmas time” The Rev’d Mark Sibly, Acting Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral says.

“We would like to invite people from Adelaide to be present at the recording, and help us to bring Christmas joy to others.”

Those wishing to join the congregation for the service, to be held on Thursday 22 November 2012 at 7.30pm should contact the Cathedral on 8267 4551 to secure tickets. These will be free of charge, but bookings are essential.

Prisoners, Prisons and Respectful Relationships Ecumenical Resource to be launched by The Most Rev’d Dr Jeffrey Driver, Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide and Chair of Leaders of Christian Churches SA •

Tuesday 6 November 2012 - 2.15pm to 3.45pm

•

New Building, Adelaide Gaol, 18 Gaol Road, Thebarton

The Resource has been prepared by people across the churches to assist the Church community in SA to: •

Be aware of and better respond to the needs of people who are in prison, including those who have nowhere to live when they exit prison and who are at risk of re-offending.

•

Address further the roots of inequality and disadvantage.

•

Contribute to fostering respectful relationships across the prison system.

RSVP by Friday 26 October 2012 - or for more information - contact: Geraldine Hawkes or Sarina Hampel, South Australian Council of Churches E: sacc@picknowl.com.au Ph: 8215 0300 Fax: 8215 0366 www.sacc.asn.au An initiative of SA Council of Churches Committee for Christian World Service and made possible through funding from the Norman Percy Cole Foundation.

St Chad’s Anglican Church

2012 Fayre The St Chad’s Fayre is an annual event which is believed to have started at least fifty years ago.

According to Church warden Gay Gardener the 2012 Fayre “will be without a doubt the greatest Fayre ever. The camaraderie, fun and success of the annual Fayre is legendary.” But it may be possible that she says this each year!

The Fayre will take place again in the parish grounds at the corner of Roseberry St and Cheltenham Ave, Fullarton on Saturday 3rd November between 9am and 1pm. Of course all the traditional stalls will be there selling everything including your favourite cakes, jams and preserves, garden plants and preloved ‘treasures’ and books, there will be a music stall, children’s clothes and toys, crafts, jewellery, and many others. And for the third year running you will be able to pre-order a fresh Christmas tree, which will then be available for collection from the church on the first Saturday in December – perfect timing for Advent.

Many amusements will be available for the children including as ‘yellow brick road’ collect as you go ‘show bag’. Amusements for the adults include indulging in a either a ‘Devonshire tea’ or a traditional bbq whilst enjoying the music from the live band ‘The Wodgers’. The band of four comprises three members of St Chad’s congregation, Andrew Clarkson, Andrew Mintern and Bruce Stocks. Jeff Oake from St Elizabeth’s Warradale is the drummer – but unlike a certain ‘Wiggles’ character he is not renowned for falling asleep! No doubt they will be wowing the crowd with favourite covers, but also some of their own original music.

We look forward to greeting many, and wish everyone well with the raffles, and finding a bargain.

ABM celebration The Committee of the Anglican Board of Mission-Australia Auxiliary in the Diocese of Adelaide is arranging the celebration of the centenary of the organisation at a Thanksgiving Day on Thursday 8th November at Christ Church, North Adelaide.

Together with a Sung Eucharist, to be celebrated by Bishop David McCall, there will be a shared lunch and an Exhibition of ABM Auxiliary memorabilia.

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