Guardian Lent/Easter 2013

LENT/EASTER 2013

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF ADELAIDE

Family opens the

DOOR TO SUDAN

INSIDE: Why do you believe in Jesus?

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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 Words by Amy Noonan email: anoonan@anglicare-sa.org.au

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RELIC OF FAITH Metal button circa 14th century

By Joan Fenney

Buried deep by the Thames from the age of adversity a relic of faith with a figure seen faintly hands held in prayer in a circle of light unearthed from the past.

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contents

LIVING EASTER Archbishop Jeffrey Driver

Just a few weeks ago in Jerusalem, with a group of young pilgrims from Adelaide, I walked the journey that Jesus walked through Holy Week.

Yes, we were challenged by their struggles.

However, what touched us deeply was their faith. It was evident. It was hopeful and it was real.

We visited the Mount of Olives, with ancient trees and ancient memories. We stood at the place where Jesus stood before Pilate, near the Fortress Antonia, and where there was once a courtyard that echoed with the words, “Crucify him, crucify him!”

That’s Easter. It is a story from long ago and we can visit the places where much of the story happened. But more than that, it is a living experience of a living Christ, giving strength in struggle, resilience through difficulty and the hope that looks to new beginnings.

We walked the Via Dolorosa through the narrow streets of the ancient city and we joined lines of pilgrims waiting to spend a few moments at the place where it was said that the body of Jesus was laid.

For Christians from Australia, where the history of our faith covers two centuries and a half, these were powerful, poignant moments, as we experienced the places of the Passion story.

But the most powerful moment for nearly all of us during those days in Israel was when we shared with a small group of Young Palestinian Christians in Nablus.

We sat together, we ate together and we prayed together. We heard the story of their struggles as Palestinians and Christians, as young people growing up with the same dreams as their Israeli peers but with so much less opportunity, of the exodus of families lucky enough to have the opportunity and means to leave for other parts of the world.

Holy Week and Easter. A great story.

But more than that; the transforming experience of a living Christ in life today.

“a living Christ, giving strength in struggle, resilience through difficulty and the hope that looks to new beginnings.”

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fAITH

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Easter: a question of belief Community church with coffee 8. Sudan calling 11. Crime, punishment and redemption

12 mISSION 12. Spirit in focus 13. Tide times

14 fOCUS 13.

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Financial literacy Village people Leap of faith Letting the light shine

20 SCHOOLS 20. Spirit of education alive and well 21. Bubble, bubble, toil and double trouble 22. Leading by example

24 cOMMUNITY 24. Local, National & International news 26. God words 27. People and Places 30. Advertisements

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EASTER: A QUESTION OF BELIEF Rev’d John Stephenson explains why he believes in Easter – and what it means.

Why does anyone believe in Easter?

I suppose the only way to answer that question is to answer it for oneself.

Why do I believe in Easter? What does Easter mean to me?

As an Anglican priest I know why I believe in Easter and I can answer these questions. But the priesthood is not where my answers to those questions began to form.

I was baptised when I was a baby, as a lot of babies were. I was sent to a Methodist Sunday School (they had the best ones I was told) although apart from knowing that, I remember nothing about it at all.

I do know that my grandfather was religious and went to church. But my parents didn’t go, although I know they believed in God. After a while I didn’t go to Sunday School or church at all. Oh, I do remember attending for a short time an ‘under twelve’s’ group at the now non-existent church called St Ninian’s which was near the Prospect tram terminus. I don’t think Easter meant very much to me other than a holiday and chocolate.

Notwithstanding a not too religious upbringing something must have happened during my early years because I’ve always believed in the existence of God. I don’t

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know why exactly. All I know is that I have.

OK, so that’s about me. Are you so different?

How did your belief in Easter begin? In any case what is Easter about – then as children and now as adults? Chocolates and a long weekend? Still?

I do remember confessing my belief to my mate who lived next door to us. He had asked whether I believed in God, although he didn’t. “Yes” I said. “I believe in God.” But why was I able to say that and in the face of my mate saying he didn’t? Where did the belief and conviction come from? Of course that question remains and I ask it still but in a different form. Why do some people believe in God and some don’t? Why do some people find it easy to believe in God and others find it so difficult? And finally why do some people not only disbelieve the existence of God but actually spend a lot of time talking about God? In the way Phillip Adams (Late Night Live and The Weekend Australian Magazine) and others like Richard Dawkins do. Is it an accident of birth that makes belief in God possible or not? So many questions and yet in spite of them belief in God is possible and happens.

Doesn’t it?

“God has in His dealings with you and me introduced Jesus into our lives. It is this introduction which makes Easter an event, a day, a season, to take notice of and believe in.”

“Easter is not about chocolate or bunnies and not even about holidays or family gettogethers, as nice as they are...”

Despite the title of this article I have been writing most of all about belief in God. This is because belief in Easter involves belief in God. No God, no Easter. No Easter no God for me.

And it is because I love what Easter celebrates – I want what it offers – that my belief in God is fundamental to my life. Is that the way it is for you? Easter is about resurrection and new life.

It is about the resurrection of Jesus, the empty tomb, the fulfilment of scripture, the road to Emmaus. It’s about doubting Thomas, the Apostles Peter and Paul. It’s about the spread of the gospel to India and to North Africa and Spain, and eventually Australia, and it’s about the church universal. In short it’s about everything that has ever been and happened and it’s about believers and unbelievers. It’s about you and me and people like Phillip Adams and Richard Dawkins and my mate next door. I know God loves His creation, you and me and everything in it. I know God loves those who are avowed atheists and those who spend a lot of time talking about the person they don’t believe in.

What a strange and wonderful world we live in and what a wonderful God who has made it possible for us to know Him and who works with us in our daily routine.

Perhaps like you I’d have to admit that the strength of my belief has varied from time to time. But what brings me back to a strong belief in the existence of God is my knowledge that He cares for me and engages with me in my daily routine and has mysteriously done so from the very beginning of my life – and that’s something I cannot deny because I know it to be true.

I see God’s influence in my decision to leave home and employment to go to Papua New Guinea, and in my decision to test my vocation to the priesthood. To be more explicit I see God’s influence in the actions of Archbishop T.T. Reed and the Examining Chaplains and Edmund Randall, the College Principal of St Barnabas’ College at that time, and Archbishop Keith Rayner, all of whom brought me through to priesthood.

God has in His dealings with you and me introduced Jesus into our lives. It is this introduction which makes Easter an event, a day, a season, to take notice of and believe in. Easter is not about chocolate or bunnies and not even about holidays or family get-togethers, as nice as they are.

Easter celebrates the Christian belief that

God raised Jesus from the dead. Easter is an occasion to celebrate our baptism and confirmation because they are amongst our responses to what God has brought into focus - the purpose of God’s involvement in our lives. And what has His purpose been?

It is to know Him. But not simply so we can say, I know God exists. God’s purpose is not simply to make it possible for me to make a statement of belief to my unbelieving next door mate. God’s purpose was not to introduce Jesus to me so that I could make a good argument back to people like Phillip Adams and Richard Dawkins. I believe God’s purpose was for me to know Him as a Father and to know, through His interaction with me that Jesus is the Christ who brings new life to someone he loves. Is this not the same for you? In all the twists and turns you and I experience in today’s world we can celebrate Easter being our event, our day and our season.

This brings me back to where I began this article. Why does anyone believe in Easter?

The more important question for you and me has to be – why do we believe in Easter?

Well, I’ve told you why I believe in Easter.

Now it’s your turn!

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COMMUNITY CHURCH

with coffee

By Amy Noonan

As Croydon is established firmly as a spot for cafés, clothes and funky furniture, an Anglican church is re-emerging as part of the landscape.

Sipping on a coffee, browsing in the shops and then heading to a vintage revival of church with a modern twist – that’s the future of western suburbs’ haunt Croydon.

Croydon’s Queen St, now known for its eclectic mix of shops and cafés, and the surrounding suburb itself with its sought-after 1920s villas and bungalows, has undergone a resurgence in the past decade.

This year the Anglican Church will join that resurgence.

Nova Church Croydon will build on its core group of six parishioners to welcome new

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community members.

But as Queen St – which is, technically, Elizabeth St once it crosses the train line – enjoys a funky renaissance, the church will evolve, too.

Bishop Tim Harris says the church will be a ‘fresh expressions’ form of church.

“Churches have always sought to be innovative and engage with the wider community but this notion is something more specific,” Tim says.

“The official definition of ‘fresh expressions’ – which originates in the Church of

England – is ‘a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church’.”

The existing St Barnabas’ church has a retro-chic feel, with a beautiful 1920s façade, but the interior will be renovated to welcome a new extended community and its varied needs.

“We will radically rework the interior of the church, changing the sanctuary into a chapel area while continuing a weekly traditional communion service for those who know and love the prayer-book service,” he says.

“There will be a redevelopment of the wider church site with a mid-week meeting space, an all-new kitchen and hospitality space and some associated ‘incubator space’ to provide an environment to assist people with start-up ideas and support.

The plan is to encourage further space for the growing ‘retro-chic’ precinct to make use of and possibly assist in establishing related businesses and community space.”

Tim says some people find the existing idea of church to be too confronting and rather than forcing potential parishioners to conform or stay away, the church is becoming more flexible.

“For an increasing number within our

wider community the very thought of entering church doors would simply never occur, and if they did so, what they would encounter would likely be something quite foreign and difficult to relate to,” he says.

“Quite a number of people are open to discussion about spiritual things, and similarly open to exploring the person and message of Jesus – it’s just church that they struggle with.

“For an increasing number within our wider community the very thought of entering church doors would simply never occur”

“People may encounter and come to faith in Christ and express that faith in the context of a community that reflects who they are.”

Among the spiritual plans are weekly Sunday-morning “Conversations” where the community can meet to read papers, sip coffee and join in a guided conversation of talking points – including some general dialogue and some Christian perspectives.

Meeting the needs of young families and teenagers will also be explored with different events designed to fit in with modern life.

The Nova Church working group would welcome others who would like to be part of this new expression of church.

To get involved, email Tim at tharris@adelaide.anglican.com.au

(Above) The traditional interior of St Barnabas’ Church will be renovated to welcome a new extended community.

A bright future Registrar Keith Stephens says Nova Church Croydon is an encouraging new development in the Diocese, as we adapt to the changing nature of Church in Adelaide.

This Nova Church will be a platform for learning and experimentation, offering a variety of worship formats as well as being a place of community gathering.

This project is a good test case for how we as Adelaide Anglicans can work together.

In this first phase of the project we are re-purposing an existing asset to create a flexible space to support the work of mission and ministry in the western suburbs of Adelaide.

We look forward to this space coming to life, as people gather as a community in the name of God.

The Diocesan Office is reshaping many of its operations and activities to better support the changing needs of congregations in Adelaide, as well as enabling new missional initiatives.

As some congregations transition to different modes of church, and new worshiping communities form, the structures that support these congregations must also change.

As we learn from experiences and initiatives such as Nova Church Croydon, we are building our capacity to support and encourage pioneering ministry opportunities around Adelaide.

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SUDAN The school is surrounded by bare dirt, the toys include a sand-filled bottle and the journey to school can be a two-hour walk. Despite the obvious differences, the Marshall family found a lot of similarities between children in Adelaide and children in Juba, South Sudan.

By Amy Noonan

Anglicare chairman Andrew Marshall, his wife Josephine, their daughter Isobel, 14 and son Hugh, 11, travelled to Juba in May 2012 to see where funds raised by Adelaide Anglicans are helping education outcomes in South Sudan.

“The students we met are just like we are,” Isobel says.

“I could easily relate to them. We’ve experienced different things but we think the same way.”

Josephine says “schools in Juba are nothing like the schools in Adelaide, not a blade of grass, no computer, no walking paths, it’s very basic yet the children are all beautifully dressed and impeccably mannered.

“While there is such a contrast, the children all have the same dreams regardless of where they are in the world – they have dreams of being doctors, lawyers and teachers, and having careers. When we saw it all, Isobel said to me ‘Now I understand why our family is passionate about this school’.”

Together with Adelaide Anglicans, the Marshalls have helped raise funds for buildings at the Juba Diocesan Model Secondary School and other projects related to the Anglican Diocese in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Andrew says it’s a natural fit with Adelaide.

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CALLING “There’s the obvious link here in that we have lots of the local Sudanese here in Adelaide whose place of origin is in and around Juba and Bor. The local Juba Diocesan Secondary School, which is an important local high school, really appealed to us. We met the teaching staff three years ago and travelled again to know what’s going on,” Andrew says.

“We’ve experienced different things but we think the same way.”

“The Salisbury Diocese in England had already formed a partnership link with the school, so we dovetailed with their development objectives. Their commitment and support to the school is inspiring. Our (Adelaide Diocese) project was a large classroom block – which allowed expansion and self-sustainability.

This has been a real success and means that around 350 students can attend the school – still with a large waiting list.

“The current project we are working hard with Salisbury to complete soon is a girls’ boarding house – construction is already underway.”

Andrew says that lack of adequatelyresourced schools in Sudan has meant that Sudanese families with means often send their children abroad for schooling – to Kenya, Australia or America.

“It’s important that well-resourced schools are available locally – which build local capacity and community” he says.

“The objective is to assist in the physical development of the school and in its teaching expertise. The next challenge that we see on the horizon is tertiary education in Juba – which is extremely limited to local students and difficult to access.”

The Marshalls travelled with a small group of “old pilgrims” in 2009 who were associated with Archbishop Jeffrey Driver’s 2009 Young Pilgrims group.

Following a further visit in 2012 the Diocese was able to secure support from the Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) to assist with fundraising for various projects in South Sudan.

And along with the big-picture realisations, this year’s journey had a personal impact as well, the family says.

“They are so welcoming and you really feel loved,” Isobel says.

Hugh says the selflessness and ingenuity of the locals was very inspiring.

“Everyone just shared everything, nothing was really anyone’s, and on a flagpole they had filled a bottle with sand and tied it with string which they were kicking around – they are gifted footballers,” Hugh says.

Josephine says any level of support would be welcomed in Juba and Bor – from some spare change to a visit.

“These folk are incredibly gracious to people from the west that would come and visit them. Being with them is an absolute pleasure and having the opportunity to serve and help is a huge privilege. We are so fortunate to make a small difference to these incredible, noble people.

Photos: (from top) Josephine with children. Isobel and Hugh with school sign, Marshall family with classroom block.

To support projects in South Sudan go directly to ABM web link donations. abmission.org or phone 1300 302 663.

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CRIME, PUNISHMENT & REDEMPTION Easter brings reflection, especially for those on the inside.

Kairos Prison Ministries, which operate around the nation, are invited into prisons by the Governor and Correctional Services authorities.

In South Australia, they work in Mobilong Jail at Murray Bridge and at Port Augusta Jail.

There is also support beyond the prison walls for the families of men who are in jail or have been in jail – that’s called Kairos Outside. Judy Thomas is leading the next weekend away in May. “We take them away for a weekend, we give them goodies – it’s all about support. We are Christians and that’s why we give this love and support but the women who attend Kairos Outside don’t have to be Christians,” Judy says.

“It’s often said that the prisoners do the crime but the families do the time – there is so much embarrassment, fear, isolation, lack of security – these women still have to get their kids fed and keep a roof over their head. It can be difficult for them.”

It’s an iconic image of punishment – Jesus nailed to a cross for his execution. As the Easter story tells us, Jesus died and was buried, but He rose again. He did this for all the sinners in the world, to bring them closer to God. Sins and punishment are familiar territory to Anglican Alan Dutton. Alan has been involved in the Kairos Prison Ministry since 2002. At the time, he was involved in the Anglican Cursillo movement and he was planning to retire from full-time ministry.

Alan says prisoners will often confess their crimes in confidence to Kairos members, but they can find the process of self-forgiveness to be tough.

“There is a section in St Matthew’s gospel, chapter 25 v 31– end, where Jesus talks about ‘I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink . . . I was in prison and you visited me… I tell you, whenever you do this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me.’

As Easter is the time of the resurrection, so the Kairos course can be for prisoners.

“I had never visited anyone in prison. I’d done things for people before, been a character witness, but I’d never visited in prison. This was an opportunity for me to do something about that.”

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Kairos, which is the Greek word meaning ‘time of opportunity’ brings together a number of Christian denominations with the aim of helping prisoners learn to love, forgive themselves and resolve to make better decisions.

“They find it very difficult, not to say what they’ve done wrong, but the one thing they find difficult is to forgive themselves.”

“Most of them know they made a mess of their lives, some have said they may as well be dead.

I think that’s why so many people reoffend, they don’t know another way to go,” Alan says.

“Through Kairos, the majority say ‘well now I’ve found I can turn my life around’. It is a resurrection of sorts.”

The women are spoiled on the weekend and given flowers at dinner, which Judy says “is basically to make them feel special and wanted – and maybe they have never been given a flower before”.

For people who want to help, Alan says Kairos needs ongoing prayers, practical support and donations.

“Pray for the men involved in the courses. We also need people to be involved, coming into the prisons and we need people to be in the support team, praying and cooking while we are there. We also need cash to cover the cost of each course – it’s about $10,000 to put a course on.”

Alan says the potential for growth is great.

“The whole point is to find a different way to a risen life and to learn to trust people. Kairos members are aware of answering Jesus’ call to a very privileged and rewarding ministry.”

For more information visit www.kairos.org.au

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mISSION

SPIRIT IN FOCUS A journey to the other side of the world is both physical and spiritual, Archbishop’s Pilgrimage leaders Frances Williams and Jonathan Hamer write.

A tired and jetlagged group of pilgrims arrived in Jerusalem on January 5 for the beginning of a three week journey to the roots of our faith and the far reaches of our church.

We began at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where we were able to stand in the place where the Christ was born. One day we followed the Stations of the Cross which map out the route that Jesus followed in his final few days. Some of the stations were buildings, some were niches in the wall and others you could only know were there by the carved number on the wall.

“We saw what it was to be both a Christian in a non-Christian country and a Christian in a society where your family pretty much dictated your religion.“

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Our purpose in going to Israel was to explore the roots of our faith but while we were there we also saw it in a modern context. We saw what it was to be both a Christian in a nonChristian country and a Christian in a society where your family pretty much dictated your religion.

It’s very different as the people we met there were known to their community as The Christians; much like the people we met on the last pilgrimage while we were in Egypt.

One day we made the journey out to Nablus to see Jacob’s Well, visit St Luke’s Hospital and a local church where we were able to

meet with a group of young people. One girl, Nancy, said that if you were to ask the people of Nablus how many Christians there were in the city they would say more than 5000, whereas in reality there were around 650.

This may have been due to the work done

by St Luke’s Hospital and is testament to the witness that the Christians have in the area.

After a week walking the streets of old Jerusalem we travelled to Ethopia’s capital Addis Ababa, then onto Lalibela to explore the stone churches and monasteries built

by King Lalibela more than 900 years ago; all except one are still in use as places of worship.

In Addis Ababa we visited Retrak, an organisation that aims to get boys off the street and back to their families or into a trade.

There are estimated to be more than 10,000 street kids in Addis Ababa; many of them come from the country having run away from home because of abuse, neglect or poverty.

Retrak has a team of teachers, counsellors and youth workers who work with the boys so it’s not just a school and it certainly isn’t an orphanage. The kids there get two meals a day, have to attend lessons and have to sleep in the night shelter; not on the street.

Tide Times A Yorke Peninsula community brightens the lives for those who’ve come across the seas.

A tiny port on the Yorke Peninsula is a beacon of hope for sailors from around the globe.

The Mission to Seafarers at Port Giles, founded in July 2011, provides a warm welcome for sailors on the grain ships which arrive to load at the port.

Halfway between Edithburgh and Stansbury, Port Giles is so small it can only accommodate one grain-loading ship at a time.

That’s when the volunteers at the Mission to Seafarers come in and Port Giles becomes the gateway to friendship, fun and a feeling of ‘home’.

Ministry District Priest Father Thomas Karama started the Mission with support and blessings from Bishop Garry Weatherill. Locals Geoff and June Harrison have been appointed as the Chaplain and Secretary, respectively.

In Gambela we met Grant Le Marquand, the Bishop of Ethiopia, and were able to assist him in several tasks. We were also fortunate enough to be involved in a baptism and confirmation service in the village of Pilwal. Several of the pilgrims chose to be confirmed

by Archbishop Jeffrey Driver and several others, along with a majority of the congregation, chose to reaffirm their faith.

At times comforting, and at times confronting, the 2013 Archbishop’s Pilgrimage was a time of great spiritual and emotional growth for all of those involved. The people who left Adelaide at the beginning of January returned with a different outlook on life and what it means to be Australian and Christian.

Perhaps the greatest thing we learnt was that we are all truly brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Mission to Seafarers takes sailors to a ‘Flying Angel’ centre at St Mary’s Anglican Church Hall in Edithburgh where there is free wi-fi internet, refreshments, recreational space and a shop selling phone cards and other items.

“Each ship is visited with the aim of making contact with every crew member to address their needs as well as taking them shopping, sightseeing or to our Flying Angel Centre.

Without the Mission to Seafarers the seafarers would be restricted to their ship or wharf. Any crew unable to leave the ship are helped on board with phone cards and internet access to enable contact with their loved ones,” Geoff says.

“Our main focus is on hospitality, so the seafarers call our Mission a home-away-from-home.”

Donations from the local community – including the local Anglican Parish, the Uniting, Lutheran and Catholic churches, the local council and local businesses and many ‘Good Samaritans’ as Thomas calls them – have funded the purchase of a bus, allowing easy access to the Flying Angel Centre, as well as further afield to local shops and even to a wildlife park in Minlaton.

“It enables the seafarers to actually mingle with kangaroos and emus and feed and touch the animals – it’s often a highlight of their stay with us,” Geoff says.

Meals play another important part in connecting with the sailors – whether it’s muffins on a broadacre farm, a BBQ on the beach or sharing meals on the ships.

“And if anyone has a birthday while in Port Giles we always make a large birthday cake to celebrate the occasion. One young man’s 21st birthday was such a special event he said he’d never forget Port Giles Mission to Seafarers,” June says.

Father Thomas has scaled the side of a ship more than 10km out at sea to provide Christmas Communion to grateful Filipino crew and he has also blessed four ships before they sailed into known pirate waters.

Father Thomas, Geoff and June also travelled to the Philippines and India for a month, staying as guests of the seafarers they had met.

“We were so touched by their love and hospitality,” Thomas says.

The Port Giles Mission to Seafarers won the Seafarers Welfare Award at the Lloyd’s List Australia – Australian Shipping and Maritime Industry Awards in November last year.

Father Thomas says the community remains committed to the welfare of sailors from around the globe.

“We received this award for the seafarers and for their sacrifice, who leave their families for eight to 10 months each year and travel around the world in the sea to make our world a better place.”

The Mission to Seafarers is an Anglican Mission dating back to 1856, when it was founded by Rev John Ashley for the welfare of seafarers everywhere. It offers practical support and a friendly welcome to the world’s 1.3 million seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs. Port Giles Mission to Seafarers is one of 26 in ports in Australia and 260 ports around the world.

For more information, visit www.missiontoseafarers.org or email the Port Giles team directly at portgilesmts@gmail.com

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FINANCIAL

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“Financial literacy is about understanding money and finances and being able to confidently apply that knowledge to make effective financial decisions.”

LITERACY and sense

A wave of the credit card and a click of the mouse have taken over from real notes and coins in today’s society. Amy Noonan finds out why conversations about money need to come back into fashion.

While credit cards, Bpay, internet and smartphone banking and Google Cash have added convenience and the ability to shop and pay bills anywhere, anytime, they’ve taken away a large portion of understanding of how to budget and make money work.

That’s why financial literacy is an important topic for everyone, according to Anglicare Financial and Housing Inclusion Senior Manager Christine Bell.

“Money really is everyone’s business and every member of the family – from children as young as three and older to grandparents – needs to be ‘money smart’,” Christine says.

“If I think back 20 years ago, the term ‘money smart’ was not a common phrase. We learnt about money through our parents and at schools, by budgeting and understanding how much comes in and goes out and much of what we paid for was in cash.

“Back then, we were happy to talk about money but too embarrassed to talk about sex.

Now the opposite is true!

“Financial literacy is about understanding money and finances and being able to confidently apply that knowledge to make effective financial decisions.”

Finances are an important part of a relationship, too.

“We should do a money health check annually, it should be a natural path and discussion like servicing the car, and not a panic when bills become too high. A lot of couples struggle with finances because they haven’t discussed financial goals, or have a different level of respect for money.

This conversation should be as natural as discussing where people will live and how many children they will have.”

Educating children about money should start when they are toddlers, Christine says, and their financial education should continue appropriately as they grow. Current statistics show it’s not a moment too soon for young people to learn about financial literacy.

“What we currently know is that almost half of our 18 to 24-year-olds have some level of consumer-related debt while a further 36 per cent of 12 to 16-year-olds have been or are currently in debt and only a quarter of our young people pay the full amount outstanding on their credit card each month.”

Anglicare SA runs Money Minded, a nationwide financial literacy program in conjunction with the ANZ Bank.

The Money Minded workshops cover: • Planning and budgeting • Getting started with financial literacy • Understanding paperwork • Credit providers • Dealing with debt • Rights and responsibilities • Planning for the future • A roof overhead Christine says financial difficulties can manifest in a number of ways beyond the actual debt.

“There is a desperate need for financial literacy and access to financial counselling and counselling for the many conditions that go along with financial stress including relationship counselling, grief and loss counselling, work-related stress, addiction counselling, family concerns, anxiety and depression.”

For more information, visit www.moneyminded.com.au Learning about money should start early and the education doesn’t end, no matter what role a family member plays.

Talking about money should happen regularly – and at least yearly if not more often, Christine says.

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Finances through the ages Christine’s tips for each life stage 3-5 years

13-15 years

Encourage children to play shops, and encourage them to save for purchasing an item.

This is a really important time to speak with your child about the difference between needs and wants. They might want the latest and greatest phone – but do they need it?

This is a crucial time to involve your child in understanding their telephone contract and discuss the pros and cons of all types of phone contracts. Many children at this age are given their first debit bank card, so helping them to start setting up and understanding the need for a budget is important.

5-12 years Allowing children to purchase items from the school canteen is a great way for them to learn how to handle money. Also give them a goal to save for – saving money to spend at the Royal Show or for a family outing. Piggy banks are good for this.

that has minimal or no fees attached and pays big interest where money is not drawn out regularly to save for expenses like school fees. Kids grow so quickly and your circle of friends usually have children the same age, so consider regular clothes swaps to make the most out of purchases.

Many mums are starting to introduce their girls to op shopping – it’s great mum and daughter time and the money you save can mean you can share a milkshake together afterwards and talk about life.

15-18 years Children generally begin to enter the workforce. Understanding tax and superannuation now seems foreign but knowing where your money is going every week is part of our overall budgeting.

Children should also begin to start ‘paying themselves’ – that means saving. Personal savings should be treated as a regular bill, where a percentage of the wage is put aside for those big ticket items – usually, the first car.

Divorce Know your financial entitlements and eligible concessions. Rework your budget more often and explore the needs vs wants debate – what might have been a need before may now be a want! Revisit your accounts and ensure you can make necessary payments.

If you are having difficulty with any bills speak with the creditor earlier – they are often happy to explore a range of options so long as they are brought into the picture earlier.

Leaving home Start by setting up regular payment plans.

Roughly estimate how much you use each week and set aside some money – generally $50 will cover it. You can set up a direct debit each pay to pay this amount – then when the bill comes in you have either covered the full amount or have a much smaller payment to make.

Defacto or married with children This is a time when the money conversations between each other are really important – and it’s OK to have these discussions in front of the children. Open a separate bank account

Empty Nesters Build that superannuation policy up as much as possible.

Retirees Early financial planning would ensure you know and have the right amount of money you need to live on in retirement.

It’s important to check concessions and entitlements, and check you have or still need those insurance policies – are they meeting your needs?

Pensions Check concessions and entitlements, and a quick check for any lost superannuation is always good. Use Centrelink’s free Centrepay system to pay the utilities and other bills fortnightly – it’s a great budgeting tool.

f OCUS

Life really does begin at 55 or older for a new community living in Anglicare’s Canterbury Close affordable home units at Elizabeth East.

VILLAGE PEOPLE Colin and Irene.

Barbara.

Officially opened in December by Member for Wakefield Nick Champion and dedicated by Archbishop Jeffrey Driver, the 20 home units are exclusively for people aged over 55 and adjacent to the Canterbury Close aged care facility in Halsey Rd.

Moving in was the final brick in a three-year, $4.3 million project between Anglicare, the Commonwealth Government and the State Government.

“The people here have already found contentment and happiness and there is a real sense of community,” Archbishop Jeffrey says.

Anglicare SA Housing Services General Manager Andrew Davis says the Canterbury Close affordable homes help some of the people who need it most.

And the residents are loving it already and living it up.

“People who are aged over 55 who solely rely on social security benefits are among the people who are most vulnerable to the shortage of affordable housing. This is a high-risk category for homelessness,” Andrew says.

But there is more to this community than just bricks and mortar. The affordable homes were specially-designed to create a welcoming atmosphere, Andrew adds.

“The units have been designed to create a ‘village atmosphere’ to enable the residents to become a part of their own small community,” he says.

That community feeling was something Archbishop Jeffrey noticed immediately when he dedicated the homes.

Barbara says her rent has gone down from $190 per week to under $90.

“This has been a very exciting time for me – I now live in brand-new accommodation with all the bells and whistles and I can now plan my financial future. I just love coming home to my little home,” Barbara says.

“The neighbours are awesome and we all look out for each other while knowing we have our privacy, too.”

Colin and Irene say moving to Canterbury Close affordable homes has given them a sense of relief.

“We have battled all our lives and we can’t thank Anglicare enough for our new home and affordable lifestyle,” Irene says.

Canterbury Close affordable homes make up part of almost 800 affordable homes supported by Anglicare in South Australia.

More homes are needed across the state.

17

LEAP OF FAITH in North Adelaide

St Barnabas’ Theological College in North Adelaide will complement an ‘Anglican Precinct’ in the suburb.

Students of the Christian faith will flock to North Adelaide with the construction of the new St Barnabas’ Theological College, expected to be completed by the end of the year.

St Barnabas, to be built within the grounds of the Anglican Church’s Bishop’s Court on Jeffcott St, will be a state-of-the-art college of theology, attracting students from around the nation, principal The Rev’d Dr Matthew Anstey says.

“It’s the opportunity to build a theological college that reflects the needs of the church in the 21st century as well as best-practice in adult learning,” Matthew says.

“The learning spaces in the college will have state-of-the-art learning principles, deep integration with internet technology and flexible, collaborative learning spaces.”

The college, which is part of Charles Sturt University, aims to double the number of students studying there in the next five years, up from the current 50 students to 100.

Matthew says the student body is diverse.

18

“I’d say most people come to theology as their second or third career. Often they have been thinking about it for a long time and really, age is no limit. I think our oldest student was in her 80s, but some also come straight from school,” he says.

Matthew says the North Adelaide location is a huge advantage.

“It’s part of what we call the ‘Anglican Precinct’, that takes in the big three foci that are Bishop’s Court, St Peter’s Cathedral and the Diocesan Office. It also includes the Anglicare SA head office, Christ Church North Adelaide and St Mark’s Anglican University College. It means the theological college is much more embedded in the life of the diocese.”

“It’s just something I felt called to do. I just want to serve the church – I hope to be a better resource for the church and for the people to better understand the scriptures,” Damian says.

“And a strong theological college benefits all of Adelaide’s communities of faith,” he adds.

“A strong and vibrant theological college has a positive effect on the church community, promoting teaching that stimulates discussion and produces effective ministers (both lay and non-lay) who are able to serve God’s people.”

Plans for the new St Barnabas’ have been lodged with Adelaide City Council, Matthew says, and donations and prayers for the impending construction are welcome, he adds.

However, it’s not just about Anglicans – students of all denominations and religions are welcome to study at the college, he adds.

“The threshold target is $300,000 but $500,000 is what we’re really aiming for. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible,” Matthew says.

“This is not a college for producing clergy, it’s for anyone who wants to study the Christian faith.”

For more information, visit www.sbtc.org.au/about/building.

One such student is Damian Szepessy, a Pentecostal pastor who commenced his PhD in New Testament at St Barnabas’ this year.

Above: St Barnabas’ Theological students Sharon Tonkes and Damian Szepessy.

f OCUS

Letting the light shine Generous donors have secured the short-term future of the Star Bear and Star Bound camps for grieving children.

By Amy Noonan The future is bright for children attending Anglicare’s Star Bear and Star Bound camps, thanks to generous donors over Christmas.

Donations to the camps, as well as essential Star Burst counselling for children, means the counsellor is secure for almost another year and at least one camp is covered.

Anglicare Children’s Services Coordinator Louanne Johns says the donations “certainly take the pressure off ”.

“We want to keep the counsellor and the camps going forever if we can – it’s such a vital service for children who have lost a parent, a sibling or a carer and there really is nothing else like it,” Louanne says.

“There is very little counselling for grieving kids and many children’s counsellors have a waiting list as long as your arm.

It’s also a chance to take the pressure off children, Louanne says.

“Sometimes it’s the first time they’ve felt comfortable enough to shed tears because they are trying to be strong. The camps and the counselling give them meanings for grief, they learn it’s OK to be upset, you’re not the man or the mum of the house, that anger is normal – it’s all a natural part of the process,” she says.

“The fact is, they don’t have to feel so alone.”

The lessons learned at Star Bear and Star Bound, and the connections with other families, are another benefit, Louanne adds.

“It’s a snowball effect, it helps parents with their grieving too. It’s an outlet to grief and to feeling open to talk because usually the other parents are grieving as well. “

Camps take place this month, in August and October. Anyone can refer a child to the camp and to counselling, however, Louanne says timing is important.

“If a child has just lost a parent in the past few weeks it’s just too soon to send them on a camp – the grief is still too raw and there’s a lot of stuff going on,” she says.

“We are so grateful to the people who donate. They are helping in such a practical way and they should feel proud knowing their donation is making a real difference to the lives of grieving children.”

For more information on Star Bear, Star Bound and Star Burst, or to get involved as a volunteer mentor, email starbear@anglicare-sa.org.au or phone 8301 4208.

“There is a real gap for children who are grieving.”

Star Bear camps, for children aged five to 12, and Star Bound camps for teenagers aged 13 to 17, are a weekend away where fun and positive memories are the priority.

19 19

SCHOOLS

Spirit of education alive and well

By Karin Dunsford, Walford Director of Development.

On Wednesday, January 30 Walford students and staff celebrated 120 years of the Anglican school exceptionally educating girls. This wonderful achievement will further be commemorated with a Jubilee Year program of special events and celebrations throughout 2013.

Birthday cake (with 120 candles) and a round of Happy Birthday were enjoyed by all girls from Reception to Year 12 and every 2013 student was presented with a Jubilee badge.

The badge incorporates the school motto “With Truth and Courage” encircled with the year 2013.

Chaplain Reverend Tracey Gracey officiated over the Jubilee Service which included a visit from a friendly ‘ghost’, representing Walford’s founder Miss Lydia Adamson. But ghost or no ghost, Walford’s spirit and commitment to educating girls is alive and well.

Walford began 120 years ago on Monday 30 January 1893 in the front room of the family home of Miss Adamson in Fisher Street, Malvern. The first advertisement calling for enrolments was published in The Register on 23 December 1892 and then again on 25 January it simply read: MISS ADAMSON, UNLEY ROAD, MALVERN School opens Monday, January 30. Private lessons given in Music and Drawing.

(Above)School captain Michaela and principal Rebecca Clarke blow out the candles.

(From left) Isabelle, Michaela, Meg and Amali with the ‘spirit of Miss Lydia Adamson’, aka Rosemary Mussared.

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Walford not only survived two World Wars and two Depressions but it continued to grow and thrive into the much admired school that it is today. When Miss Adamson

opened the Collegiate School for Girls, Malvern, I wonder if she had even imagined that it would be one of Australia’s leading girls’ schools in 2013.

In 1910 and 1911 Miss Adamson travelled to England and visited her mother’s birthplace at the village of Walford in Herefordshire. Then upon her return to Adelaide she re-named her school Walford for the commencement of the 1912 school year. Lydia passed away at the age of 51 years after a period of ill health, having shortly before sold her school, Walford, to one of her teachers, Miss Ellen Benham, who was one of the first female science graduates of Adelaide University in 1892 with second class honours in Geology and Physiology. The science wing at Walford is named in her memory.

As is often said, it is the people who give an institution its character and strength and make it a success. Walford is grateful to the strength of leadership, quality of teachers and the loyalty of its remarkable old scholars who have made it the fine school that is celebrating 120 years and many more to follow.

Old scholars and friends of Walford are invited to join in the celebrations throughout the year. A Jubilee Walk of the school will be held on Tuesday, May 28 for anyone who is interested in learning more about the fascinating history of Walford Anglican School for Girls.

BUBBLE UBBLE BUBBLE

toil and double trouble

By Katrina McLachlan

Haroula Manolas and Melissa Thai with Scientific studies teacher, Kimberley Shean.

Anyone who thinks girls don’t like science

Scientific Studies teacher, Kimberley

“This subject also enables students to use

should spend five minutes with Haroula

Shean, who is also St Columba’s Head of

practical and research activities to gather

Manolas and Melissa Thai.

Senior School, says the course provides

scientific knowledge and these two girls did

students with the opportunity to discuss

an amazing job with their studies.”

These two former St Columba students made history when they became the first and only two students in the whole of South Australia

contemporary social issues using scientific and technical knowledge in order to observe both sides of an issue.

and the Northern Territory to be awarded a Merit Certificate in Scientific Studies.

Students at St Columba College are able to choose to study Scientific Studies at both a Stage 1 and Stage 2 SACE level in

“By applying scientific knowledge to contemporary issues, students are able to

conjunction with the study of other Science subjects or independently.

Haroula and Melissa achieved a perfect result

understand the impact that factors such

of 20 and were presented with their merit

as culture, ethics, economics, power and

Both Haroula and Melissa will be pursuing

certificates at a ceremony at Government

relationships have on the way we live,”

tertiary studies in the area of the health

House on February 12.

she says.

science profession.

21

SCHOOLS

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

By Chaplain Andrew Mintern and Upper Primary Assistant Principal Craig McFarlane Every year at St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School the final class-led chapel service is taken by the Year 6 students on the theme of “Servant Leadership” which captures Jesus’ teaching and example of self-giving service to others. This is an opportunity for these students, who are about to enter Year 7, to outline their vision about leadership in the school.

This year at SPW we have increased the number of elected house leaders from eight to sixteen. Four leaders from each House – Eyre, Flinders, Light and Sturt – will assist the two School Captains in four new portfolio areas: Service, School Pride, Arts and Sport.

Why the different portfolios and a move away from House captains being just involved in sport? Assistant Principal Craig McFarlane explains: “We want to focus on servant leadership in the hope of developing students who are ‘people for others’.

22

We want this servant leadership to impact our community in a positive way, and not just the school community but the wider community as well.”

The new captains are keen to make a difference in the school through their role and already have a number of ideas about their leadership – School Captain Anna believes being a leader is about “listening as much as talking.” House Captains, Harry and Grace summarise it as “setting the right example” and “leading people towards a common goal.” Being a representative is an idea captured by two captains, Alex and Kate who say “we represent our school community and our community’s beliefs.”

How is a servant leader different? House Captain, Jazlyn, says “they help wherever they can and set a good example to others.”

Another Captain, Zac endorses this and says that it is about: “modeling service to others.”

It is hoped that doubling the number of captains this year will increase their impact on the SPW school community which has experienced rapid growth over the past decade.

Is it up to the leaders to do everything themselves? House Captains, Brooke and Ben, have clear ideas about this – “our role is to encourage others to get involved” and “encourage others to share their talents.”

Whilst such leadership may seem a big responsibility to take on in Year 7, the actions of the student leaders and the positive responses of the younger students towards them, speak for themselves. The new House and School Captains at SPW are filled with enthusiasm for the year ahead and are already making a positive impact in the school.

Foster Carers can be from all kinds of family types: singles, couples, people at home, working full-time, part-time or studying. Free training and ongoing professional support (including 24 hour assistance) is provided.

You are invited to attend one of our information sessions: >

Tuesday 9 April Lockleys Bowling Club 46 Rutland Ave Lockleys 6:30-8:30pm

>

Tuesday 7 May Anglicare SA 4-8 Angas Street Kent Town (stair access only) 6:30-8:30pm

To register, or for more information, call Linda on 8131 3456

www.anglicare-sa.org.au/fostercare

The joy of learning

INVESTIGATOR COLLEGE 2 Glendale Grove, Goolwa.

Ph: 8555 5755

ST. PETER’S COLLEGE Hackney Road, St. Peter’s.

Ph: 8362 3451

PEDARE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE 2-30 Surrey Farm Drive, Golden Grove.

Ph: 8280 1700

ST. PETER’S COLLEGIATE GIRLS’ SCHOOL Stonyfell Road, Stonyfell.

Ph: 8334 2200

PULTENEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 190 South Terrace, Adelaide.

Ph: 8216 5555 ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL 22 Smith Street, Walkerville.

Ph: 8168 5555 ST. COLUMBA COLLEGE President Avenue, Andrew’s Farm.

Ph: 8254 0600

ANGLICAN SCHOOLS... the right choice Enquiries: Mr. Jim Raw, Anglican Schools Liaison Officer 18 King WIlliam Rd, North Adelaide 5006 Phone: 8305 9349

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ST. JOHN’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL 29 Gloucester Avenue, Belair.

Ph: 8278 2233

ST. PETER’S WOODLANDS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 39 Partridge Street, Glenelg.

Ph: 8295 4317 TRINITY COLLEGE Alexander Avenue, Evanston South.

Ph: 8522 0666 WALFORD ANGLICAN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 316 Unley Road, Hyde Park.

Ph: 8272 6555 WOODCROFT COLLEGE Bains Road, Morphett Vale.

Ph: 8322 2333

23

LOCAL, NATIONAL Church time is now in the Asian century Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Frier travelled to Myanmar earlier this year.

Dr Frier says there’s no better time to expand and strengthen relationships between Anglican churches in Australia and Asia.

“The time is right for the Church to enter into new relationships with our sister churches in Asia, in particular with the Church of the Province in Myanmar,” Dr Frier says.

He met with Archbishop of Myanmar Stephen Than Myint Oo as well as Saw Kenneth, General Secretary of the Church of the Province of Myanmar and Dr Frier says both men revealed that many Christians “felt like second-class citizens because they were a minority in a Buddhist country”.

Episcopal Church in its General Convention—issued a letter calling on all members to repent for not having acted sooner to end gun violence.

“Since the day when twenty-eight people died in Newtown, more than 2,300 people in the United States have been killed by guns,” the Rev’d.

Gay Jennings and the Hon. Byron Rushing wrote. “Far too many of the dead are poor, young people of colour. They have been dying for years, too often unnoticed, on the streets of Chicago, Baltimore, New Orleans, Newark and scores of other cities and towns.

“We have not been galvanized as we should have been by the cries of their anguished families and friends. As we work to end gun violence now, we must repent of not having done it sooner.”

By ANCS

“Can you imagine what it would be like to have a national network of schools and hospitals – among the best in the nation – and have them suddenly nationalised in 1962 with no price paid and no right to regain? This is what happened to the Anglican Church in Burma,” Dr Frier says.

“But even after 60 years, the Anglican Church has never lost its sense of mission to the whole community. We visited in Yangon the Compassion Clinic, newly re-opened after being closed for decades, and now busy with medical and dental patients from people right across the nation, and from every ethnic and religious background, no questions asked. Their fortitude is remarkable.”

Dr Frier says the Melbourne Church is looking to develop a “deeper partnership” with Myanmar Anglicans as their church shares in being a full member civil society “which gives hopes for a democratic future”.

By ANCS

Episcopal Church leaders commit to challenging gun violence Leaders across the Episcopal Church have committed themselves to challenging gun violence as part of God’s mission of reconciliation.

The new commitment is a response to the shooting deaths of twenty children and eight adults in a Connecticut elementary school in December.

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Christian writers to be rewarded The awards, now in their fourth year, are judged by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Australia (SPCKA).

Closing soon are entries for the Australian Christian Book of the Year – entries for that category close on March 31. The prize of $2500 is awarded for an original book written by an Australian citizen and published by an Australian publisher.

Last year, the prize went to Gumbuli of Ngukurr: Aboriginal elder in Arnhem Land.

There are also award categories for young Christian scribes. Young Australian Christian Writer carries a prize of $2500 and it is awarded to the best unpublished manuscript by an Australian citizen aged under 30.

Australian Christian Teen Writer has a $1000 prize and is awarded an author aged under 18 for their unpublished manuscript.

Entries for both the Young Australian and Australian Teen Christian writer categories close on May 31.

As the United States debates the need for tighter gun laws in the wake of the Newtown’s Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, representatives of both houses of Bishops and Deputies have spoken out about the need for something to be done to prevent gun violence.

SPCKA says 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.

In early March, the President and Vice-President of the House of Deputies—the body representing priests, deacons and lay people of the

The Australian Christian Book of the Year awards have been running for the past 30 years. Young Australian Christian Writer and Australian Teen

& INTERNATIONAL NEWS Christian writer categories were added in 2006 and 2010, respectively.

Awards coordinator Michael Collie says the prizes are part of SPCKA’s mission to empower Christian writers, publishers and distributors, discover hidden talent and encourage the creation of life-changing and culturally-appropriate Christian writing.

“With these literature awards we celebrate and encourage the creativity and enterprise of Australian Christian writers and publishers,” Michael says.

Find more information and entry forms at www.spcka.org.au/NewsAwards.html

New rector for St Theodore’s The Rev’d Grantley Kenneth Bullen and his family have joined St Theodore’s at Toorak Gardens in March.

Rev’d Grant, who was the Vicar of the Church of St Stephen and St Mary in Mt Waverly, Melbourne for the past decade, was commissioned at a service in Adelaide on March 14.

He leads his first service on Sunday, March 17.

Peace as a priority Canon David Porter has been named as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Director of Reconciliation at Lambeth Palace, the Anglican Communion reports.

Canon David has been seconded from Coventry Cathedral and he will work part time on Archbishop Justin Welby’s personal staff.

He has more than 30 years’ experience in regional, national and international faith-based organisations and Archbishop Welby says Canon David’s work in reconciliation and peacebuilding in Northern Ireland is an asset. Canon David has served on the Northern Ireland Civic Forum, where he chaired its working group on peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as serving as a member of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

“Conflict is an ever-present reality in both the Church and wider society,” the Archbishop says.

“Christians have been at the centre of reconciliation throughout history. We may not have always handled our own conflicts wisely, but it is essential that we work towards demonstrating ways of reducing destructive conflict in our world – and also to setting an example of how to manage conflict within the Church.”

Canon David says reconciliation and peacebuilding should be a “practical priority” in the Church.

“How we live with our deepest differences both within the church and our increasingly fractured world is one of the major challenges to the credibility of Christianity as good news,” Canon David says.

By ANCS

Rev’d Grant is no stranger to Adelaide – before he moved to Melbourne he was Rector of St Mary Magdalene’s in Moore St in the city.

Retiring priest Fr Peter Thomson and his family were farewelled on January 6 where locum tenes Canon Bill Goods spoke of Fr Peter’s “distinctive gifts of caring pastoral leadership, prayerful presidency of worship, a commitment to people’s spiritual growth and a stability in life on which you have come to rely”.

Church warden Ian Campbell said Fr Peter’s wife Ros helped with the Children’s Ministry over the years and Fr Peter made an effort to minister beyond the parish walls.

“His pastoral care to so many who no longer could make the journey to church or who were sick caused an ever-increasing workload, but his dedication to supporting our parishioners in need was sincerely appreciated by all,” Ian said.

Rev’d Grant is joined by his wife Kathryn. Their daughter Hannah is studying in the United Kingdom.

New Archbishop for Tanzania The Church of the Province of Tanzania has elected Bishop of Mpwapwa Diocese in Tanzania, Jacob Chimeledya as its new Archbishop and Primate.

The announcement was made after elections held during an extraordinary meeting convened by the General Synod of the province on February 21.

“I am pleased to let you know that Jacob Chimeledya, the Bishop of Mpwapwa has been elected the Archbishop of Tanzania,” said the Rev’d Agripa Ndatila. “I hope that you will pray for him so that God can be with him in this (new) responsibility that he has been called for.”

The Most Rev’d Jacob Chimeledya takes over from the Most Rev’d Valentino Mokiwa who has been Archbishop since February 2008.

Canon David Porter.

Image Anglican Communion

He will be installed in May this year at a service to be held at the Anglican Cathedral in Tanzanian capital Dodoma.

By ANCS

25

GOD WORDS

Wholeness in Holeyness

By The Very Rev’d Frank Nelson, Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral We were sitting in the doctor’s consulting room, awaiting the results of a MRI brain scan on Maundy Thursday in 2007. The neurologist’s medical language of cysts and demyelination threatened to overwhelm me.

In layman’s language please, we pleaded.

Basically it meant there were literally now holes in Christine’s brain! She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The wonders of Facebook meant that within minutes of a new status going up along came a short pithy prayer: May you find wholeness in your holeyness. I like it.

Stay with me for a few minutes as we explore this “wholeness in holeyness” concept. It may offer some riches as we head towards Holy Week, the great Triduum stretching through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Day. On the cross Jesus was quite literally made holey. His death makes us holy. Think of some of the people we associate with the cross.

Peter first. Forever linked with the crowing cock, Peter’s denial of his Lord is nonetheless forgiven. He becomes Peter, the rock on which Christ builds the Church.

Pray for those who deny their faith, and let themselves and others down, despite their best intentions. Give thanks for the power of forgiveness, of being given another chance.

Mary and John next. Standing at the foot of the cross they are brought together by Jesus’ words: Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother.

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Pray for those whose relationships are dysfunctional; those who are alone with no one to comfort and befriend them. Give thanks for family life, for friendship, for communities that care for people.

The centurion in charge of the crucifying soldiers. Having supervised the nails being hammered through flesh he watches and waits. At the end he says, Certainly this man was innocent (Luke 24: 47); truly this man was God’s Son (Matthew 27: 54).

Pray for those whose work is unpleasant, cruel or difficult; for those who, following orders, must carry out punishment or shoot to kill. Give thanks for the dignity of human life, even in the worst of situations; for insights that lead to the restoration of justice, humanity and dignity.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

Powerful men, yet fearful of being found out.

They find the courage to ask for the body.

Pray for those whose position compromises them, their beliefs and actions. Give thanks for the many quiet and unrecognised acts of goodness and kindness that happen day by day.

Judas. One who surely wanted the best, yet couldn’t wait for the right time. Hasty to the end, he takes his own life. Pray for those who are tempted to end it all, and those who do.

Pray for their families, friends, work colleagues and acquaintances who are left forever wondering – if only. Give thanks for the many ready, listening ears and offers of help.

Jesus the Christ. Betrayed, denied, arrested, whipped, mocked, taunted, derided, body punctured by nails and spear. He speaks. We listen. Father forgive. I thirst. Today, you will be with me…. Your son … your mother ...

My God, my God, why…..? Father, into your hands … It is finished.

Pray for those who suffer abuse, are the victims of cruelty and incarceration.

Mary Magdalene. A broken weeping woman, among the last to leave the scene of death, the first to go to the tomb in the garden. The one entrusted with those stunning, lifechanging words – I have seen the Lord.

Pray for those who feel their life is worthless. Give thanks for new meaning in Christ, the Light and Life of the world.

Thomas the doubter. He missed out when the others saw Him. Wanted ‘proof’. Wouldn’t believe without it. Unless I see the mark … put my finger in the (holes) … Jesus is there.

Put your finger here… reach out your hand … Do not doubt but believe.

Pray for those who struggle with doubt. Give thanks for the way Christ meets us, in the midst of our doubting.

Holy Spirit fill the holes; bring wholeness from holeyness. Alleluia.

PEOPLE AND PLACES Parishes spread strength to their communities Anglican parishes go beyond the church services to bring hope to their communities, Anglicare Pastoral Care and Parish Development manager Peter Burke writes.

Engaging with local communities outside of traditional church services is the ethos of Anglicare’s Communities of Hope program.

More than 40 people gathered together to be inspired by, and learn from, the success stories of Adelaide’s Anglican parishes engaging with their local people. The “Anglican Parishes and Communities of Hope” workshop was held in February with another planned for spring.

There was an emphasis in the seven parish stories shared about music, culture, hospitality and friendship.

At St Michael’s Mitcham, the parishioners run the “Seniors in Harmony” program, with a focus on a good-old singalong and afternoon tea.

The program has got numbers close to 100 participants at times.

Parishioners at St Columba’s Hawthorn have connected with nearby units managed by Anglicare and Housing SA. Resident Mary thought it would be a good opportunity to connect her fellow residents with the parish and several social events have already been held, with more planned.

St John’s Salisbury hosts the St John’s Children’s Choir which is very popular with children from the Burundian community. The choir has already sung at Sunday services in several parishes across the diocese and the regular rehearsals at St John’s focus on friendship and cultural exchange. There’s also an adult choir which is popular with the Burundian community and choir member Didace spoke of the aspirations of his people as they settled into the Australian community.

Parishioners at the Holy Cross, Elizabeth, recognised a gap in services for locals at the weekend. More than a year ago, they started the monthly “Hungry Sunday Night Dinner”, which will soon become a fortnightly event!

The parish offers low-income earners and isolated people in the community a place of friendship and hospitality as well as a nourishing meal.

The op-shop at the Church of the Resurrection, Kidman Park, has had a makeover, transformed to a fresh and welcoming space. Rev’d Elizabeth Dyke says the next step will be the inclusion of a coffee space to emphasise the shop’s role as a place to gather.

Anglicare SA chief executive officer Rev’d Peter Sandeman encouraged those at the workshop to build on their strengths, the quality of their lives together and their engagement with the wider community.

Anglicare SA’s senior manager, Financial and Housing Inclusion, Christine Bell, spoke about the importance of financial literacy for everyone in the community and mooted the possibility of implementing financial counselling workshops in the parishes and associated op-shops.

Photos above: Christine Bell and Peter Burke.

Members of St John’s parish, Salisbury.

The workshop was sponsored by the Church in Society Ministry Unit (CISMU) and the Joint Anglicare Diocese of Adelaide Parish Partnerships Committee (JADAPP). The next session will have a continued focus on the sharing of stories from parishes and ideas for a shared mission as communities of hope.

The Chinese Welfare Association has found supporters at St Luke’s Whitmore Square, where there are twice-weekly activities for older Chinese citizens. St Luke’s already engages with a diverse community and this has certainly added to the community mix.

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PEOPLE AND PLACES Pampering for the soul and spirit Using the restorative concept of a “spa day”, churchgoers at St Chad’s are taking time out for some physical pampering and spiritual reflection.

Spa Days have been held at the Fullarton church for the past three years, based on an idea from Pam Bentley and Cathy Caird. Rev’d Tracey Gracey says the days, held several times each year, are a way of connecting the church with people in a non-traditional way.

“It’s envisioned as a mini-retreat, like an internal spiritual spa – to do for your spirit what beauty day spas do to your body,” Tracey says.

“Pam Bentley and Cathy Caird were the instrumental people who dreamt of and initiated these spa days.

“It’s a replenishing and a renewal within and it’s also about connecting with people who want to have some time out for personal reflection but they don’t like the traditional church structure.”

Spa days focus on different stations and take in all the five senses – perhaps it’s praying in colour using coloured pencils, meditation and music and movement, Tracey says.

“We’re averaging 20 people at a time, all different age ranges, men as well, and once people get over the scary part of choosing to be silent they realise the benefits of it.

“It’s spiritual and very mindful.”

The next Spa Day is on Saturday, May 18 from 2pm to 5pm.

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Leading with light A light-filled extension to the St Peter’s Church at Glenelg has been awarded a “bouquet” in the Civic Trust’s annual Brickbats and Bouquets awards.

The extension, completed in 2011, is on the eastern side of the church in Torrens Square.

The Civic Trust awarded it the “Colonel William Light Award for Contribution to Excellence in Urban Design”, part of the heritage category.

It is the first time the Colonel William Light award has been presented since 2009 as all Civic Trust awards are based in intrinsic value and assigned “purely on the worth of the project”.

In comments, the Civic Trust said St Peter’s glass extension was in keeping with Light’s plan for the church – when he laid out the original Town Plan of Glenelg in 1839, he intended that it have a central focus.

“The architect was determined to ensure that the Church building could still be seen from all angles, but at the same time to enhance it with the new addition,” Father Tony says.

“This was very important for all of us because St Peter’s Church is a heritage building and one of the Glenelg area’s best known landmarks.

“The building has turned out to be everything we had hoped for. The feature glass has provided the building with such a light and welcoming atmosphere.”

“The extensions heighten and increase this focus, are sympathetic to the scale and form of the original building and have been designed to retain the visual prominence of the original church building,” the Trust said.

“The new functional spaces provide for a wide variety for church and community uses in a light-filled and visually stimulating setting with a visual buffer space between the new and the old to ensure that the original stained glass windows receive maximum light.

“The chalice-style roof of the extension emphasises the building’s role as a key focal point in Torrens Square and at night the internal lighting heightens the building as a local landmark.”

St Peter’s rector Father Tony Tamblyn says the Civic Trust bouquet “really is such a compliment to the architect Peter Moeck and to those in the parish who had the vision and determination to carry the project through to completion”.

Significant Sunday The second Significant Sunday, supporting and celebrating the work of chaplains, will be held on May 19.

For information and resources please contact The Rev’d David Covington-Groth on 0401 806 280.

Adelaide Mothers’ Union in action Mothers’ Union in the Adelaide Diocese continues its second year of support for the students at St Barnabas’ Theological College.

The Semaphore Community Markets is part of the St Bede’s with Anglicare Program which also includes the Drop In Centre. On the 3rd of March the market hosted a Music Festival with many fabulous school musical groups performing.

Enid Sutton, of the Mothers’ Union, says that during 2012 members prayed for the students and were also able to provide a cheque to graduates who were Ordained.

“Now we’ve started this project, we were quite chuffed to be able to support them financially and the students themselves were gobsmacked,” Enid says.

“We’re praying for them as they’re going through the College and afterwards for the first year will be keeping in touch with those recently ordained as they start their ministry, by sending them Bible study notes and other material we think is relevant.”

The Mothers’ Union is a global Anglican Society, founded in England in 1876, supporting and promoting Christian family life and values.

A stitch in time They have been responsible for creating the delicate vestments which have adorned the St Peter’s Cathedral altar since the 1880s and, now, the Cathedral Needlework Guild is welcoming new members.

Airlie Black, one of the “band of women” in the guild, says the group meets monthly to repair and produce new vestments.

“You’ve just got to be interested in sewing.

We have so few people but there are a lot of people in this world who say ‘I used to sew, I’m too old now’ but we want people to know we exist, come along and have a look and perhaps join us,” Airlie says.

To celebrate History Month in May there will be a display of linen work – Airlie says some of the older pieces have been “stabilised” using pieces of cloth and netting to stop them deteriorating and some pieces date back to the 1920s.

On Monday, June 24 at 10.30am there will be morning tea for any interested needleworkers and sewers who wish to join the guild.

“It would be lovely if we had some younger people to join us – anyone with an aptitude for sewing,” Airlie says.

Enid says some of the ordained students commented that their own mothers had been involved in the Mothers’ Union and they were delighted to be able to reconnect.

The Mothers’ Union held fundraising social events including a “Pleasant Sunday afternoon” at St Aidan’s in Payneham where Enid and her husband Alan worship.

St. Richard’s, Lockleys also contributed.

For more information, or to assist in this outreach, whether or not a MU member, phone Enid on 0450 366 554 or email alensutton@adam.com.au

For more information phone the Cathedral on 8267 4551.

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lETTER

Guardian around the globe The Adelaide Anglican Diocese’s good news goes global, with news of readers in the United Kingdom.

The Rev’d John Waddington-Feather wrote to the Guardian to say his Adelaide-based daughter Anna regularly sends over a copy of the magazine, which he passes on to his fellow churchgoers in Shropshire, UK, after he and wife Sheila have reached the last page.

“I was very impressed by several articles in the current number, December 2012, especially Tim Harris’s “Aussie Dreaming” – a very well written and thought-provoking piece of writing,” Rev’d John says.

Rev’d John says he has a love of writing and he has started publishing his e-books on Kindle.

“I’ve recently had astonishing success in UK and the USA when Kindle began publishing my work as e-books. I’ve created a Yorkshire detective who is an Anglican NSM like myself (I served as a voluntary prison chaplain in the local jail for forty years till I retired at 78 two years ago). My fictional detective is the Rev’d Det. Insp. Blake Hartley and his sergeant is a Muslim, Ibrahim Khan.

“Together they solve all sorts of grisly crimes round their home town and abroad. One novel has its climax in Adelaide when the ‘baddie’ tries to throw Blake Hartley overboard from his yacht to the sharks. I’ve also written a children’s novel for my five grandchildren in Adelaide, Quill’s Adventures in Kangarooland which in time will also be published on Kindle, where my books are currently selling at 1500 a month. And we only started selling them on Kindle last June!

“Enough about myself. Many thanks for the hard work you put into the Guardian. It’s very well presented packed with interesting features which make good reading and enjoyed this side of the globe.”

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r Theo McCall

RECEPTIVE ECUMENISM WORKSHOP -an initiative of the South Australian Council of Churches. ALL WELCOME Saturday 23 March 2013 10 am - 12 noon Noarlunga Uniting Church, corner of William Road/Ramsgate Avenue, Christies Beach.

Facilitated by Marelle Harisun (UCA), Drew Thomas (Quaker) and Geraldine Hawkes (SACC/RC) What can we – and what do we need to – learn and receive, with integrity, from the other traditions?

Come along and join with members of other traditions to learn more about Receptive Ecumenism and open up new possibilities in relation to our unity in Christ.

RSVP for catering purposes to: Velvy Holden Phone: 8382 3944 Email: holdens@bigpond.net.au

ACCOMMODATION SEEKING ACCOMMODATION Accommodation required. Anglican priest, single male. Granny flat or part house. Eastern suburbs. Please call 8333 2495

GGG TO ADVERTISE HERE PLEASE CONTACT

Loan Leane Phone: (08) 7007 9020 Mobile: 0404 089 762 loan@joiecreative.com.au

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