Guardian October/November 2018

NOV 2018

GUARDIAN A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E O F A D E L A I D E

Taking the First Steps Towards Flourishing 1

THE ANGLICAN GUARDIAN Published by the Diocese of Adelaide Edited by Peter March Phone: (08) 8305 9350 Fax: (08) 8305 9399 Email: pmarch@adelaideanglicans.com www.adelaideanglicans.com

If Only

By David Thornton-Wakeford If only, then maybe I might have done it differently not blown the chance to make my mark

Layout and Design by Alex Gatley agatley@adelaideanglicans.com

If only, then perhaps I could have said it succinctly

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not foot in mouth to make my point If only, then surely

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I would have chosen it carefully not lacking the taste to impress the rest

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If only, then actually I could be content

Ann Nadge is The Guardian’s Poetry Editor.

Submissions of no more than 20 lines can be sent to ann_nadge@yahoo.com

with the skin I’m in not wanting to be anything but me

The joy of learning

Anglican Schools . . . the right choice Enquiries: Mark Porter, Anglican Schools Liaison Officer 18 King William Rd, North Adelaide 5006 Phone: 8305 9349

INVESTIGATOR COLLEGE 2 Glendale Grove, Goolwa.

Ph: 8555 5700

PULTENEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 190 South Terrace, Adelaide.

Ph: 8216 5555

ST. COLUMBA COLLEGE President Avenue, Andrew’s Farm.

Ph: 8254 0600

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

Ph: 8362 3451

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

Ph: 8295 4317

WALFORD ANGLICAN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 316 Unley Road, Hyde Park.

Ph: 8272 6555

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

Ph: 8280 1700

ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL 22 Smith Street, Walkerville, Ph: 8168 5555

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

Ph: 8278 2233

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

Ph: 8334 2200

TRINITY COLLEGE Alexander Avenue, Evanston South.

Ph: 8522 0666

WOODCROFT COLLEGE Bains Road, Morphett Vale.

Ph: 8322 2333

A Reminder of God’s Eternal Presence It has been widely reported across the media that the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney were to consider a policy banning a number of practices on church owned properties. One of these reported practices was Indigenous smoking ceremonies. However, I was pleased to discover, after conversation with Archbishop Davies, that these media reports were misleading and inaccurate. The policy only made reference, by way of example, to certain smoking ceremonies whose purpose was to cleanse a place from the residual spirits of those who had died. However, when the misrepresentation of the text of the policy became widely known, the reference to smoking ceremonies was deleted, so as not to cause any further offence to Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders.

A number of Aboriginal people have already made comments on the place of smoking

in Australia with the first fleet or, colonial chaplain, Richard Johnson. God’s eternal Spirit has been seen over the whole of creation since the dawn of time (Genesis 1: 2). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christians recognize that God has been in this land since creation. It is important to acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christians do not leave their cultural identity and history at the door of the church, but worship God with the wholeness of our being and identity.

The concern brought about by these new reports, misleading as they were, has reminded the Anglican Church of Australia that consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is essential when considering appropriate cultural practices. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council is the official Indigenous voice of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia, which contains within it a wealth of experience of ministry with our people.

It is disappointing that this body was not consulted, even though the Diocese of Sydney has its own Aboriginal Reference Group for consultation. Had it been, it may have led to the avoidance of the deep hurt caused to many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.

I commend Bishop Michael Stead, and the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, for withdrawing any reference to Indigenous smoking ceremonies in their policy document.

contents

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FOCUS

04 Taking the First Steps Towards Flourishing 05

New Principal ‘totally crazy’ according to close friend!

06

Celebrating The Word in Song

07

MISSION

07

Connecting With Homeless People

08

Bishop Missioner to Playford

09

A New Chapter In The Tale Of The ‘Three Mags’

ceremonies within church services and public ceremonies. Smoking ceremonies are usually associated with services of welcome and acknowledgement of Aboriginal custodianship. The use of smoke has a long history within traditional Aboriginal cultural practices, which include both cleansing and healing. Aboriginal Christians readily interpret this ceremony in terms of the cleansing and healing brought to the world through the person of Jesus (1 John 1: 7; 1 Peter 2: 24). The presence of smoke also reminds Christians of God’s eternal and guiding presence in the world (Exodus 19: 9; Isaiah 4: 5). Christians have long used incense to symbolize not only this, but the prayers of God’s faithful people (Revelation 5: 8). Understood in the light of this, we can easily acknowledge the appropriate place of Indigenous smoking ceremonies within Christian worship and public ceremonies.

Bishop Chris McLeod National Aboriginal Bishop Assistant Bishop – Diocese of Adelaide & Willochra

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A wider, but no less, important issue is the acknowledgement that God did not arrive

Below: Bishop Chris being “smoked” by Karl Telfer at his consecration.

15 Trinity College Boasts Best in the Business

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FAITH

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An Inspirational Life Remembering Rev’d David Cobbett

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Rev. Canon Percy McDonald Smith - A True Visionary

13 A Walking Encyclopaedia of Parish History

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COMMUNITY

Meet the Head of Anglican Funds SA

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CMS and Diocese of London Open New School for Lay Pioneer Ministry

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Ukulele Church

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Guardian recognised by Religious Press Association

18 Third Session of the 43rd Triennial Synod 19

Film Review: Green Book

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FOCUS

Taking the First Steps Towards Flourishing In the last edition of The Guardian I introduced Vision 2022-Our vision and our yearning is to be a Diocese of flourishing Anglican communities, united and connected, whose members are confident and competent to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This edition of The Guardian corresponds with the annual meeting of the Synod.

This year and for the next two meetings of the Synod, we will be taking a part of the vision statement as our theme. This year the theme was Flourishing Anglican Communities in the Power of the Holy Spirit. The theme of Synod 2019 will be United and Connected in the Power of the Holy Spirit, and in 2020, Confident and Competent to Live as Disciples of Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Attaching the phrase in the power of the Holy Spirit to each part of the Vision reminds us that we cannot do anything to serve the mission of God except in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I think the word ‘flourishing’ is a wonderful word because it has a sense of life and vitality. Flourishing Anglican communities can be big or small, very new or very old. A significant indicator of flourishing in Anglican communities will be growth: growth in the number of people coming to faith in Jesus, growth in the depth of discipleship of Jesus, growth in no strings attached service to the wider community, and growth in generosity in the use of the money and resources God has given us to look after (in other words everything we have!).

How Anglican communities become more flourishing is an interesting process. The first step in the process is always prayer-and the prayer for growth we have been using is a good start (see page 18 or go to adelaideanglicans.com to read the prayer). There has also been quite substantial research into what helps churches to be healthy and to grow.

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German researcher Christian Schwarz has led studies into churches of many denominations and sizes (including more than 1500 churches in Australia) under the banner of Natural Church Development (www.ncd-australia.org. au) and that research has led to the identification of eight essential qualities of healthy churches.

These are: 1. Holistic small groups 2. Loving relationships 3. Empowering leadership 4. Effective structures 5. Gift based ministry 6. Need oriented evangelism 7. Inspiring worship service 8. Passionate spirituality.

There has also been quite extensive research in the Church of England (www.fromevidence toaction.org.uk) and that research has indicated the following are important for churches: 1. Have a clear mission and purpose and where clergy and congregations are intentional about growth 2. Understand its context, actively engage with it and with those who might not currently go to church 3. Have clergy and lay leaders who innovate, envision and motivate people 4. Be willing to self-reflect, change and adapt according to its context 5. Nurture disciples 6. Be welcoming and build on loving relationships with people

7. Actively engage children and young people 8. Have lay people as well as ordained clergy active in leadership and other roles One other very significant factor that has shown up in the English research is planning. Churches that consciously plan for mission seem to grow more than those that don’t (this is in the book What makes Churches Grow

by Bob Jackson (2015)). This finding has meant a planning process known as Mission Action Planning is being introduced widely in the Church of England. A really good ‘how to’ manual for Mission Action Planning is available with the very imaginative title-How to Do Mission Action Planning-prayer, process and practice, by Mark Ireland and Mike Chew. I spoke about Mission Action Planning and this book at the recent series of lay leaders meetings and have been very encouraged that more than 60 copies of the book were sold, and am now aware that quite a number of parishes are already engaged with this process. Mission Action Planning by itself is not a magic answer but the research does strongly indicate a connection between good planning and growth-perhaps because planning helps us to be more focussed in terms of what we are on about.

I’d really encourage members of Anglican communities (parishes, churches, schools, congregations) to be praying, thinking, planning and acting so that more and more under the grace of God we can be flourishing and so serve the mission of God as effectively as we can.

FOCUS

St Barnabas College

New Principal ‘totally crazy’ according to close friend!

by The Rev’d Dr Don Owers AM, Principal, SBC It’s true! When I told a close friend that I had decided to forego retirement and take up the role of Principal at St Barnabas College (SBC) his immediate response was, ‘You’re totally crazy!’

My friend is not Anglican. But he has an enduring affection for the Anglican Church - rather like the affection one might have for a wise and kindly but rather vague and occasionally eccentric aunt. He would love to see the good news of Jesus really making an impact on Adelaide and South Australia through our Church but, as he looks around, he’s fairly pessimistic about the possibilities. And then there’s SBC – it’s so small, so under-resourced and has, in the past, had its orthodoxy questioned by some people – and yet it’s expected to play a key part in achieving the Diocesan Vision 2022.

Isn’t all this an impossible dream? Isn’t it ‘totally crazy’?

I don’t think so. Let me tell you why.

I had the opportunity, as Acting Principal for six months, to acquire first hand knowledge of SBC. What I found was a team of academics and administrators who are very highly committed to the academic progress, Christian formation and general well being of their students. Not surprisingly, in light of this, I also found that, while student numbers are small (around 50

students at present), the way in which SBC students focus on their studies and encourage one another is most impressive – and this is reflected in their results.

I was also impressed by the way that various Anglican traditions are not simply respected in theological discussions in the College but appreciated for the insights and enrichment they might offer. The doctrine we teach is entirely orthodox – it aligns completely with the historic creeds and the Book of Common Prayer. At the same time the College offers a safe space for appreciative dialogue between our various traditions and I think this makes for both effective learning and growth in theological maturity.

I have been a teacher and manager and (perhaps more importantly) a student, in five higher education institutions, both universities and independent colleges.

I can say without a shadow of doubt that the quality of learning community at SBC really is second to none. Am I crazy? I don’t think so.

Then there’s the health of the church across the Province and its capacity to share the Gospel effectively. I would have to agree with my friend that, with a few exceptions, it’s not exactly encouraging at present. On the other

hand, I think there are signs that things are stirring. As I get to know people from around the Province I find many, many church members who want to see things happen. There’s a genuine and developing desire, I think, for renewal – and I have the temerity to believe that God can work with that.

In Adelaide the Diocesan Vision 2022 has articulated the shared hope that we have for the mission of the church and thus provides a sense of direction as we move forward. Again, I don’t think I’m crazy to want to be part of this!

My final argument for not being crazy is the faith we share in the God who ‘ . . . by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or even imagine . . .’ and who desires to be glorified in the church (of all things!)

I don’t think I’m crazy. A fool for Christ maybe, but that’s OK! By the way, you can be part of renewal by building up your own theological knowledge (and you’re never too old to study theology!) Enrolments for 2019 are now open. To enquire call Cathy Thomson (Academic Dean ph. 8305 9317) or Damien Szepessy (Academic Administrator ph. 83059309).

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FOCUS

Celebrating The Word in Song

by Peter March with Mark Peterson

Emu Music is a collaborative ministry focused on contemporary, Biblical, Christ-centred music in church, that aims to equip churches with fresh new songs of the Word and to train leaders and musicians in what it means to practically run a Biblical music ministry.

Emu Music’s Word in Song Conference Adelaide will be taking place on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 November at St Augustine’s Unley, led, in part, by the Rev’d Mark Peterson.

Mark, who is undertaking his curacy at Unley (and also an accomplished musician), explains his history with Emu Music and how he came to be hosting the event, “I’ve had a long association with Emu Music, from way back when I was in Sydney, including doing albums, conferences, song writing and other stuff. Emu itself is a very small organisation, but the group of people associated is quite large. That group is a bunch of musicians who have a common goal to see churches adapting quality contemporary songs into their services without compromising on theology and Biblical content.

“So, anyway, a few years ago the big conference that they used to run in Sydney (TWIST Conference) was condensed down into a travelling roadshow type conference. Emu has called this Word In Song, and usually connects up with local musicians in a

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city and seeks to be an encouragement to them in the hard slog of doing music ministry in church every Sunday. So, the Adelaide event is actually happening in conjunction with an event in Tassie and another event in Scotland (both overseas, you might say!), but I’m only involved in the Adelaide one.”

The conference will take place in two parts, starting with a free event on the Friday night called “A Night In With Emu”, which Mark says, “aims to cater for a broad audience including churches and schools, as well as others who might be interested in a night of singing contemporary praise songs, learning some new ones, and also hearing a bit of the back story for the writing of some of the songs.”

Saturday is a day conference with 2 all-in sessions, a masterclass on how to breathe life into songs and make them sound fresh and contemporary, 3 seminar options (Music Directors, Song Leaders, or an all-in seminar on why we sing the songs we sing), plus plenty of opportunities to network during session breaks.

Mark explains that while this is a contemporary music event, that there is a place for everyone at Word In Song, “I guess music can be divisive, particularly along traditional versus contemporary lines. The differences are understandable because we come from different backgrounds and cherish different memories. But I think it’s important for musicians, and congregations, to always be willing to broaden their musical styles and knowledge, mostly because of Christian love and charity. This should work both ways, of course.”

“Though this is a contemporary music event, one of the aspects that participants will notice is that all of us on the platform have a deep respect for traditional styles, and particularly for the heritage of hymns that we draw from. Song writers who understand and are willing to be taught about the hymn tradition write better contemporary songs anyway. So it’s definitely going to be a useful day regardless of your tradition. But there will be a focus on making contemporary music work well.”

“It’s a great privilege for St Augustine’s Unley to be able to host this event. It’s a traditional building with a long history of great church music but it will also be a great venue for doing contemporary music. I find that the aesthetic richness of the windows and timber and stone work in the building really create a beautiful context for artistic expression of a range of types. And getting younger people with fresh sounds into our buildings helps to build bridges.”

“I’d invite anyone to come along on the Friday night and just check it out. And then you can make your mind up to come the following day if you’d like.”

DETAILS: Where: St Augustine’s Unley When: Friday 2 & Saturday 3 November 2018 Cost: Friday = FREE Saturday = $50 or $40 for students and pensioners Register at: emumusic.com/collections/word-insong-adelaide

MISSION

Connecting With Homeless People

by Peter March The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide in partnership with Anglicare SA held its first Connecting with Homeless People: Guidelines for Parishes workshop on Tuesday 21 August at St Peter’s Church Glenelg.

L to R: Andrew Mintern, Peter Burke, Olive Bennell, Karen Stott, Dave McDougall, Daniel Harris.

The purpose of the event was to launch a set of guidelines that aim to provide people in parishes with ideas and advice on how to best respond to the presence of homeless people on site safely and effectively.

In other words, this is to enable the best possible Christian response to the reality of homelessness when it reaches the door of the local church and where homeless people may sleep rough on church sites.

These guidelines include ideas and advice on how to offer hospitality to homeless people in short-term crisis alongside a focus on support and referral to enable homeless people begin a transition from homelessness to home. These guidelines are produced for people in parishes who may have contact with homeless people including parish clergy and parish secretaries, other parish workers and volunteers on parish sites.

The guidelines are the result of collaboration between the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide and AnglicareSA through a working group, which has included parish clergy with some direct experience of homelessness on parish sites. They are offered as pointers to action based on current experience and learning and it is likely that this will be revised as time passes and more is learnt.

Anglicare’s Director of Mission and Anglican Community Engagement Peter Burke said of the event, “We’ve learnt a lot from the workshop and it’s been a really good way of guiding us into the future and we hope that the guidelines will provide an opportunity for people to have a conversation. This started as a request from the Diocese to Anglicare and it’s been a great collaboration.”

Peter stressed the importance of the role of parishes to support Anglicare’s work in the community, “What we need is a combination of structured and random acts of kindness; so the structured acts of kindness are knowing what professional services (such as AnglicareSA) can provide, but we also need people who are prepared to be ‘people in community’, who connect with people in their community as part of their ministry, part of their sense of being a ‘God-person’ in their community, and so we can do one but in a way it would be like brokering out the second commandment to Anglicare and we (churches) do the first (commandment), we’re all in this business together.”

Peter was also quick to point out the way in which projects like this work to support the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide’s new Vision 2022, “Among all the aspects of the Vision 2022, the one

“What we need is a combination of structured and random acts of kindness; so the structured acts of kindness are knowing what professional services can providebut we also need people who are prepared to be ‘people in community’, who connect with people in their community as part of their ministry,” that exercises my mind most of all is the one around Innovation and Advocacy because I actually think what we’ve done today, in producing the guidelines, is a little piece of innovation and its actually lead us to some conversation around advocacy. For example, there was deep concern this morning as people became aware that if you have no fixed address, you can often be denied certain medical services – that is an advocacy issue! And maybe the church collectively needs to be a prophetic voice and says, ‘we need to do something better than this in our community’.”

Northern Areas Workshop for Parishes Wednesday 21 November 9am - 12noon St Luke’s Anglican Church, 25 Smart Road, Modbury RSVP by Monday 19 November Peter Burke pburke@anglicaresa.com.au or 0411 872 461

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MISSION

Bishop Missioner to Playford The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide has announced that Bishop Tim Harris will become Bishop Missioner to Playford and Parish Priest of the Parish of Elizabeth.

News of the appointment came as part of Archbishop Geoff Smith’s President’s Address to the 2018 Synod. The move for Bishop Tim comes with an aim to address the need for growth and development of the northern part of the Adelaide Diocese.

“One of the definitions of a good pioneering minister is dreamers who can do...

Bishop Tim feels strongly called to this new ministry, “I’m excited to get back into grass roots ministry, still as a bishop, but a bishop who is more directly engaged in being present and being able to bring some of the experience and capacity to make introductions and to find ways to move beyond dreams to actually make things happen.

In his address, Archbishop Geoff stated that, “The population is growing and is forecast to grow significantly in coming decades. In terms of area, the City of Playford is very large, and the Anglican church is not well represented there, and so Playford and the emerging developments to the north and northwest of Playford need to become an area of priority for us.”

“One of the definitions of a good pioneering minister is dreamers who can do and I’m happy to get in some space where I’m given some scope to work with others.

Bishop Tim will continue as an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese, but his episcopal ministry will be focussed on Playford.

Bishop Tim will take up this new fulltime role in December this year and will be funded by the Parish with support from AnglicareSA.

Tim’s vision for the region is to “establish, support and coordinate versatile, creative and innovative Anglican ministry across the greater City of Playford area, centred and supported through a renovated and enhanced parish centre at Holy Cross, Elizabeth”.

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“The northern areas are a harvest field that workers need to be sent out (to), so I’m responding to a strong sense of call in that space”.

Working alongside Tim will be the Rev’d Jo Smith as a co-worker in this ministry.

Jo will be Associate Priest at Holy Cross, while continuing her focus in Pioneering and Ministry Innovation Archbishop Geoff will likely appoint a new full time Assistant Bishop sometime in 2019 to continue Bishop Tim’s current Assistant Bishop role and replace him in that.

Adelaide

Playford

MISSION

A New Chapter In The Tale Of The ‘THREE MAGS’ From AnglicareSA Since 1905, when St John’s Mission Church on Moore Street became known as St Mary Magdalene’s church, the name ‘Magdalene’ has been at the heart of life in Adelaide.

St Mary Magdalene’s is the mothership of the city’s ‘Three Mags’, which were established from the late 1980s in revival of the church’s mission.

The church has provided community support through the Depressions, World Wars and beyond. Its original city-based St Peter’s College Mission moved to the emerging suburb of Elizabeth (now AnglicareSA’s Elizabeth Mission).

In 1988 the ‘second mag’, the Collective of St Mary Magdalene grew from a small group of young people providing sandwiches in Hurtle Square, to a Saturday Night Drop in Centre serving free meals to people experiencing homelessness and marginalisation in the city.

Through volunteers, parishes, schools and other organisations, this service continues to provide meals in a safe, welcoming environment at the church’s Mission Hall.

A few years later, St Mary Magdalene’s invited neighbouring Anglican Parishes of St John’s Halifax Street and St Peter’s Cathedral to unite with Anglican Community Services (now AnglicareSA)

to offer a weekday support program for people experiencing homelessness and marginalisation. Anglican Community Services committed to transferring their Emergency Assistance program from St Barnabas building (North Adelaide) to the Magdalene Centre in March 1993, along with a commitment to fund a full-time Manager and part-time administration officer.

Through this the ‘third mag’, The Magdalene Centre, was created.

Over time, The Magdalene Centre’s service scope has grown across various locations.

In 2000, the Emergency Assistance program moved from Moore to Carrington Street along with the opening of the Magdalene Bargain Centre, which combined emergency clothing and household assistance with retail sales.

Following an extensive search, a new site will open at 82 Gilbert Street to integrate administration, emergency assistance, the bargain centre and other AnglicareSA services such as IT. We express our gratitude to AnglicareSA’s Property Services team and their tireless efforts towards establishing the new site.

While the move will revolutionise how The Magdalene Centre operates, the Three Mags will continue together towards the one mission of Connecting the life of the church with the lives of marginalised people in the city.

St Mary Magdalene’s Church will continue with liturgical worship and community service with new areas of focus currently under consideration by the Parish. The Eucharist (Holy Communion) is celebrated on Saturdays (5:30pm), Sundays (9am, 10:30am) and Thursdays (midday).

The Collective of St Mary Magdalene’s Saturday Night Drop in Centre will continue every Saturday Night to offer a community meal from 5pm at the Mission Hall in Moore Street.

St Mary Magdalene’s will remain known as ‘A Welcoming, Open and Inclusive Community in the Heart of the City of Adelaide’ as it strives to be faithful to God’s mission.

In 2013 the Emergency Assistance program moved again to St Luke’s Whitmore Square. Meanwhile, The Magdalene Centre’s administrative and support offices continued at the Mission Hall.

For some time now, there has been a desire to unify the work of The Magdalene Centre under one roof, to better support those in need.

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FAITH

An Inspirational Life Remembering Rev'd David Cobbett

by Anglican Board Of Mission - Australia The Anglican Church of Korea is a small, but dynamic, church of around 55,000 members spread over three dioceses: Seoul, Daejeon and Busan (because of official transliteration changes the second two dioceses used to be known as Taejŏn and Pusan respectively). Together these cover the whole of South Korea. The church was started by missionaries from the Church of England in the late 19th century and has had a strong focus on social outreach and on enculturation of Anglican Christianity within the cultural traditions of Korean society.

The Anglican Board of Mission’s (ABM) relationship with the church dates back to the early 1960s when the Rev’d David Cobbett, an ABM missionary, worked in Seoul and Busan. His time of service there is warmly remembered and the links between the now Diocese of Busan and Rev’d Cobbett, who died earlier this week in Adelaide, remained warm and valued till the end.

Rev’d David Cobbett was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Newcastle in 1953 and travelled to Seoul in 1957 with his wife Alison to attend the Inter-Missionary Language School for two years, becoming the first Australian missionary to South Korea after the Korean War. He was an inspirational figure in the Australian Church and an outstanding symbol of ABM mission activity, who had also served on regional committees, the Board and Standing Committee of ABM. Of his time in South Korea, Rev’d David wrote: ‘The South Korea and

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Fr David Cobbett presents a sewing machine to a graduate of the Pusan parish sewing school.

the capital Seoul that I knew in 1957 were very different from modern day South Korea and Seoul. The ancient kingdom had been broken in pieces by the 1950s Korean War and at the war’s end, the country was divided in two.

Bishop John Daly appealed for priests

to help the tiny Anglican remnant that fled south. After intense language study, I was asked by the Bishop to move south to a small congregation of refugees in a one time Japanese Church in Pusan City. I was driven there by the Diocesan Land Rover through

sporadic gunfire as citizen groups overthrew the dictatorship of Syngman Rhee. That was my first novelty: going through gunfire to one’s first parish as a missionary priest.

‘The needs were vast so the work in Pusan City expanded quickly with the devoted help of Korean lay workers and clergy and ABM’s support was always there. Soon the existing red brick church, hall and house were too small. So we extended and at the same time began schemes to help students afford school expenses and have safe places for out of school study. We began to help refugee widows to find employment by starting a parish sewing school and giving every graduate her own sewing machine. Soon it was wise to move from the inner city church to an outer suburb and create another parish.

‘With the financial help of friends and family in the Diocese of Newcastle and with local advice we bought a house and land and pioneered new work. This parish and the now Pusan Diocese sold the land and buildings for a good profit and bought another property nearby.

They invited Alison and me back for the opening and dedication. We declined the invitation but sent our loving wishes.

‘Every Monday afternoon in retirement I am on duty as a volunteer for three hours in St Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide, to help people with counselling. This March I met two Koreans who came to the Adelaide Festival. They were stunned to find a Korean speaker and before they left they said two things, “People have a high regard for the Anglican University in Seoul and for the leading role played by the Church in work for human justice”.

‘Those of our little band of eight English, twelve Korean and one Australian priests working there after the 1950s war would smile at that report from March 2010!

The ABM Review of March 1958 recorded some of Fr David’s impressions as he began to minister among the people of Korea:

‘ It is quite remarkable that the war-torn country of 1957 would become the industrial powerhouse and important nation of today but not so surprising that the church was a part of that change.’

‘One missed immediately the trees, the great tall gums and the animals of home: instead, there were mountains, the small valleys and rice farms, round every bend in the road was something different. Eventually, we reached Seoul and the Anglican Compound in which stands our lovely Cathedral. Two weeks ago the Bishop took me with him to a Confirmation in the Parish of Eum Song. Along with us were two sisters of the Holy Cross, who were helping with a teaching mission in our new church in the small village of Pokae Ri. On the way, we called to see the Rev William Choi who next year goes to St Francis’ College, Brisbane, for a period of study. William is one of our youngest and very active Korean priests. He loves his job and so marks are to be seen in the life of the Parish. He told us of many lapsed Anglicans who were being drawn back, and of some who had fled from North Korea and had been won back to the Church. At the moment of our departure from this parish, a leper came forward with a gift – his face scarred, his eyes covered, his fingers eaten away by the disease. The gift was 100 Won, less than two shillings in our money and he said it was to pay for the petrol that brought the Bishop.

The leper lived by begging, so both to him and the Bishop that gift meant much more than just 100 Won.’ [The Rev’d William Choi did come to St Francis’ College and was eventually made Bishop of Pusan where David had served.]

Give thanks for Rev’d David’s pioneering work in Korea, and give thanks for the work and witness of the Diocese of Busan (성공회 부산 교구, the Seonggonghoe Busan Gyogu) today, remembering especially the Rt Rev’d Onesimus Dong-shin Park who is the Bishop of the Diocese.

Archbishop Shuffles Archdeaconary Archbishop Geoff Smith has made a significant change to Archdeacon’s appointments across the Diocese, since The Venerable Gwilym Henry-Edwards recently resigned as Archdeacon of the City of Adelaide and the Port. That will move to have Archdeacons operate outside of the archdeaconry in which they live.

In an email to colleagues, Archbishop Geoff Smith explained his decision saying, “This is to give me flexibility in Archdeacon’s appointments and enable the Archdeacon to enjoy the collegiality of colleagues in their own deanery without being the Archdeacon.”

“So, I have appointed Ruth Mathieson to be Archdeacon of Sturt, Andrew Mintern will be Archdeacon of Torrens, David Bassett will be Archdeacon of the City (of Adelaide) and the Port and Lyn McRostie will continue as Archdeacon of The Para.”

Ruth, Andrew and David will be commissioned at the October Synod service taking place at St Augustine’s Unley, after which their new responsibilities will commence.

Archbishop Geoff Smith also announced that Archdeacon Lyn McRostie has accepted the appointment as Priest in Charge of the Parish of Prospect with her commissioning to take place at 7pm on Thursday 8 November.

Meanwhile, the Rev’d Dr Joseph Chung will be concluding his time at Kensington Gardens after Christmas and has been appointed to be Parish Priest of Ingle Farm and Para Hills. He will replace the current Locum Rev’d Yvonne Riley.

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FAITH

Rev. Canon Percy McDonald Smith

A TRUE VISIONARY

by Helen Stein North Road Cemetery recently paid tribute to Rev’d Canon Percy McDonald Smith, who is buried at the Nailsworth site, following the launch of former test cricketer Ashley Mallett’s new book titled The Boys from St Francis.

Left: Rev. Percy McDonald Smith; Bottom: The original Church of the Ascension, Alice Springs; Right: The book, with Dr. Charles Perkins AO on the cover; available through wakefieldpress.com.au RRP $34.95 Paperback

The book launch took place in October at Glanville Hall, previously St Francis House, Semaphore, which Rev’d Canon Percy McDonald Smith (fondly known as Father Percy), established with his wife following the second World War. The cemetery tribute read, Rev. Percy Smith was appointed to Alice Springs in 1933, as the first resident Anglican priest to the area, which spanned from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, to Alice Springs in the south. On the wishes of Bishop of Carpentaria, Bishop Steven Davies, he developed a ministry with the part-Aboriginal people of Alice Springs and surrounding areas. He was affectionately called Fr. Percy by the people of the area.”

He began visiting “The Bungalow” at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, where he recognised the need for better education for the children of the area. In an effort to give them a real chance to further their education, he established St John’s Hostel where several children, regardless of their background, came under his care.”

In 1936 he had raised enough money to build the first church in Bath Street, named The Church of the Ascension. A new church has since been built on the site in 1983.

During the Second World War, he served as an Army Chaplain, ministering to the troops at the staging camps between Alice Springs and Larrimah, a distance of about 1,100km.

Post war, assisted by his wife Isabel, he instigated an educational program

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for part-Aboriginal boys to study in Adelaide. In 1946, he purchased Glanville Hall in Semaphore on behalf of the Anglican Church to provide accommodation for the boys. Glanville hall was built in 1856 as the family home for Captain John Hart, later a Premier of SA (buried Path 14 South).

It was renamed St. Francis’ House, and provided a family environment for the children while they pursued a higher level of education than what was available to them in remote areas. At this time, virtually no Aboriginal children went on to any form of secondary education.

The boys initially attended Ethelton Primary School, then Le Fevre Boys’ Technical High School.Initially starting with six boys in 1946, St Francis’ House educated 50 boys between 1946 and 1960.

Fr. Percy’s program was an outstanding success, as can be shown by the achievements of the boys from St Francis. They include University BAs and PhDs, including the first Aboriginal person to graduate from an Australian University. One of his students became a Chief Inspector in the NSW Police Force. There were artists, one who designed the Aboriginal flag, and another who designed the famous

“Dreaming” images for Qantas planes.

One student went on to become an Anglican Deacon, another two worked with Dr. Fred Hollows in remote Indigenous communities.

Sporting was also well represented amongst his students, with three going on to play league football for Port Adelaide, and two playing rugby in England.

Awards received by his students include three Members of the Order of Australia (AM), two Officers of the Order of Australia (AO), and one Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

In 1949, Fr. Percy returned to Alice Springs and became the first Archdeacon of the Northern Territory.

He was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1980 in recognition of his outstanding work in the field of Aboriginal welfare and for his service to the Church.

Fr. Percy died in Adelaide on 7 May 1982 at the age of 79.

His wife Isabel received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 1992 for her service to the welfare of underprivileged children.

by Julia Denny-Dimitriou “It’s the only thing I’ve never applied for and I stayed with it for 47 years!” laughs Tony Whitehill, recently-retired Organist and Music Director at St Peter’s Glenelg.

How then did Whitehill end up spending nearly five decades doing something for which he didn’t ask? “I was shoehorned into it in 1971 by the-then Parish Priest, Arthur Curran. I had started piano lessons as a boy, and moved over to the organ in my late teens.”

Apart from three years, 1960-1963, when he studied in England, he has also been a life-long member of the Parish after being baptised there in 1939: “I attended the primary school started by the Parish, St Peter’s Day School as it was then, before going on to Pulteney Grammar and St Peter’s College.”

A black and white photograph on the wall of the Choir Vestry at the church shows the 14-year-old Whitehill as a choirboy participating in the Centenary service of the parish in 1952.

Surely this makes him a repository of remarkable institutional memory, a walking encyclopaedia of St Peter’s Glenelg history?

“I have seen considerable changes, yes.

People think I must be conservative and traditional, but not always. As a Warden, I was a great supporter of having a much less formal main service once a month with others providing the music.

You have to have generational change and new ideas. I always said I would retire at age 80; there is a time to go, otherwise you’re in danger of undoing any good you might have done. Change offers the opportunity for others to explore new things. St Peter’s has a very long music tradition, and I’m confident that it will continue to enhance the Word of God there.”

Newcomers found it almost impossible to navigate the Prayer Book because we didn’t go through every page in sequence. It has become friendlier and more relaxed; the worship more informal, but still basically traditional.

Whereas church membership used to be automatic, now it’s optional. There are lots of other things people can do with their time on a Sunday, so there’s an increasing awareness of the need to welcome and embrace people.”

“The transition of prayer books and hymnals has played a big part in that.

Once upon a time at mass on a Sunday we used the 1662 Prayer Book and the English Hymnal hymn published in England in the 1930s. Now the worship liturgy is in a language people can understand and many great new relevant hymns have been introduced.

Both of these things help to make the service more meaningful and welcoming,” he says.

In addition to his church involvement, Whitehill had an intriguing career as a horticulturalist and arborist, including 32 years spent with the Adelaide Botanic Garden. History and memory played significant roles in this too. Whitehill served as an external consultant, assessing trees and advising on “significant trees” in relation to issues like safety and building developments.

He was a founder member of the

Australian Garden History Society and co-authored the book Some Historic Gardens in South Australia, a summary of work carried out for the Australian Heritage Commission.

As to the future, Whitehill is looking forward to the flexibility of not being required to be in Adelaide every weekend. “I have a list of significant trees to assess for nomination to the National Trusts of Australia Significant Tree Register. I will have more time to go and look at them and Sunday morning is often an ideal, quiet time to do that.”

He will, however, still continue as a regular worshiper at St Peter’s and make time for practice on the organ he has been playing for 47 years: “So I can still fill in, and play if I’m asked to,” he smiles.

Below: Tony Whitehill (14) as a choirboy for St Peter’s Glenelg’s Centenary service in 1952.

Bottom: in front of the organ at St Peter’s Glenelg that he has been playing for 47 years.

(Photo by Julia Denny-Dimitriou)

“It may sound a bit sad but this church, and a number of others, used to be rather unwelcoming places if you didn’t belong. There were no welcomers at the door and people just left afterwards.

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FAITH

A Walking Encyclopaedia of Parish History

COMMUNITY

Meet the Head of Anglican Funds SA Blaine Fitzgerald has had a long career in the Banking and Finance industry. He spent 27 years working in various positions for ANZ Banking Group limited, spending the last 14 years in leadership roles including customer relationship management, risk and compliance, deal structuring, credit assessment & sales leadership.

In late 2012 Blaine joined the Anglican Diocese of Grafton as Fund Manager of their Development Fund – Anglican Funds Grafton Diocese (AFGD).

Guardian spoke with Blaine who explained how this set him on path to one day be the Head of Anglican Funds South Australia (AFSA), “AFGD has a close relationship with AFSA who support Grafton through transactional banking software sharing and back office support established under a formal service agreement.”

“My role was to set the business up by re-establishing AFGD as the first point of reference for all investment, finance and transactional services, co-ordinating the transfer of Parish and Anglican associated entities banking to AFGD and managing key stakeholders and client relationships.

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“The relationship between AFGD and AFSA was and continues to be very strong and when the opportunity came up to be considered for the role of Head of Anglican Funds South Australia I had no hesitation in applying for the role.”

Blaine assumed the position as head of AFSA on the 12th February 2018 and quickly settled into his new surrounds, “I enjoy the challenges and the unique skill set you need to apply in aligning church law and mission with commercial outcomes that achieve mutual benefits for all stakeholders.”

“I enjoy being able to share my skills and expertise gained in the corporate world and transfer that knowledge to the not for profit space.

“I enjoy working in a team environment, feeling valued as a person with the knowledge that the work we do is making a difference.”

“I am blessed with a great team whose skills and expertise make coming to work each day a pleasure.”

The commencement of his tenure as Head of AFSA aligned closely with the launch of the Diocese’s Vision 2022, which helped shape the “simple” vision Blaine has for AFSA that is to: • Be known in the Anglican community

as providing professional, customised and personal service.

• Become the trusted specialist on all investment and finance related enquiries for all Parishes and Anglican associated entities.

• That we become enablers, assisting sustainability through generating “surplus for purpose” that we can distribute back to the Anglican Community.

With this clear vision, AFSA has set in place some fairly straightforward guidelines, which are to: • Improve our communication channels via website, print and direct marketing.

• Build and strengthen our direct relationships with parishes and Anglican associates in the Diocese of Adelaide.

• Develop new product offerings where we have identified a gap and promote them to the Anglican Community to increase investment in the fund.

• Build closer relationships with other dioceses who may benefit from our expertise by expanding existing service agreements or establishing new ones.

• Grow the operations of AFSA to achieve greater economies of scale so that by the end of 2021 we have increased our distribution to the dioceses by a further 50%.

Blaine speaks with great enthusiasm when discussing the services AFSA currently offers at the core of which are the Endowment Fund and the Community Fund, “The Endowment Fund is designed to meet the investment needs of organisations with a long-term investment perspective.

Its style of investment is similar to a superannuation fund.”

Blaine goes on to highlight some projects in which AFSA has recently assisted, “We’ve provided finance for a school hall, several rectories and building restorations for parishes. We’ve also enabled smoother and predictable cash flows for parishes via Electronic Planned Giving, 12-month short term loans for parishes to pay their insurance invoices, as well as providing merchant

facilities in Community Shops to increase sales and reduce cash handling risk for volunteers.”

including recent PhD graduates and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals and teachers, who are making an outstanding contribution to society both nationally and internationally.

at the World Adolescent Robotics Competition, which were this year held in Guiyang, China.

To find out how Anglican Funds South Australia can serve you, be sure to contact them at enquiries@ anglicanfundssa.com.au or on 08 8305 9305 during business hours.

“The Community Fund operates in a similar way to a small Credit Union.

It receives investments from Parishes and Anglican associated entities (e.g.

Anglicare SA) from within the Diocese of Adelaide and elsewhere, paying the investor a competitive return on their investment, and then invests those funds in low risk asset classes to make a surplus.

“Another activity of The Community Fund is providing branching/back office activities to other dioceses covered under a service agreement where some key costs like software are shared. This activity continues to be a profitable activity of the Fund and strategically we believe it could be expanded over time to increase the profitability of the Fund.”

Trinity College Boasts Best in the Business

Trinity College’s Head of Multimedia and Robotics, Mrs Sue O’Malley was named STEM Educator of the Year (School Teaching) at the prestigious 2018 SA Science Excellence Awards on Friday 10 August.

The SA Science Excellence Awards showcase the critical importance of science and research to the development of industry and our society. The awards acknowledge the achievements of talented individuals,

In an interview with the awards organisers, Sue spoke of her investigative approach to teaching, which in turn, inspires students in their approach to learning, “I think the best thing you can do as a teacher is to say, ‘You know what? I don’t know, but I can find out...And that’s okay, the kids need to know that that’s okay.’”

“Kids love a challenge. As soon as you can challenge them with something you can see an end point in something that they’re aiming for and they just can’t resist diving in.”

Sue’s dedication to her students has been highlighted in recent years by her leading teams to represent Australia

Reflecting on their travels Sue said, “We have such a great time at the competitions as we are just so busy with other teams constantly running up to ask for help, parts or to share their ideas.

“For this competition, we rebuilt a lift, designed a gear train and programmed colour sensors for three different teams, before we even unpacked our own robot. When you consider that the teams were from 18 different countries, and languages, it was an incredible feat.”

Trinity College paid tribute to Sue’s achievement saying in a release on the school’s website, “This is a brilliant achievement and Sue’s acknowledgement on a wider stage is thoroughly deserved.”

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COMMUNITY

LOCAL, NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CMS and Diocese of London Open New School for Lay Pioneer Ministry From Anglican Communion News Service

A new School of Pioneers is opening in London to provide non-residential training in pioneer ministry for lay leaders. The initiative is being run jointly by the Diocese’s Centre for Church Planting and Growth and the Anglican mission agency Church Mission Society (CMS). The new venture will “identify and train new pioneer leaders to birth ‘new churches, for new people in new places’ across London”, a spokesperson for the Diocese said in a statement.

The Diocese of London is more than half-way through an ambitious target of opening or re-launching 100 new worshipping communities by 2020.

In 2017 the Diocese’s electoral roll figures – the closest to a membership list in the Church of England – showed a 13 per cent increase in church membership since 2012, bucking the national trend and demonstrating a clear demand for church growth, the diocesan statement said.

“I am excited by the potential of our partnership with CMS”, the Bishop of Islington, Ric Thorpe, who leads the Centre for Church Planting and Growth, said. “We are working to encourage a culture of pioneering through church plants, fresh expressions and missional communities throughout the Diocese and through the School of Pioneers, we will be able

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to train and commission lay people to lead new forms of church in new places for new people.”

The Director of Mission Education at CMS, Jonny Baker, said: “The London School of Pioneers is part of our growing network of training hubs for lay pioneers that we are developing in partnership with dioceses around the country which began with the St Cedd Centre for Pioneer Mission in the Diocese of Chelmsford.

“They are the result of nine years of sustained success and continued growth of the Pioneer Mission Leadership Training programme that CMS has pioneered from its base in Oxford.

“The Church of England now wants a more accessible version of this training based in their own diverse contexts, in order to train and equip their lay people for pioneering mission”, he said. “The hubs form part of a rapidly expanding network of pioneers across the UK that is changing the ecclesial landscape and influencing the development of pioneer training in other parts of the world.”

The new School of Pioneers has the backing of the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally. It will allow the Diocese to offer formal training to lay pioneers

for the first time, “and testifies to the growing importance of ‘pioneering’ in the Church’s strategy to reach a generation who have grown up in a post-Christian culture,” the statement said.

The School is aimed at lay people who are either already involved in pioneering, or who have been identified as pioneers within the Diocese. It will offer pioneers the chance to understand their vocation, and gain the expertise, experience and understanding to help them launch and lead fresh expressions of church including missional communities, community projects and entrepreneurships, across the Diocese.

Meanwhile, the Diocese’s plan to open 100 new churches continues, with the opening next week of the new St Luke’s Church in Millwall, in the south London district known as the Isle of Dogs. The Bishop of Stepney, Adrian Newman, will rededicate the building – his last major engagement before he retires.

The original St Luke’s was a temporary iron-building, constructed in 1865. That was replaced with a 700-seat Gothicstyle building in 1873, but that building was destroyed in an air raid during World War II; following which the Parish was merged with the neighbouring Christ Church.

The new St Luke’s has been built to cater for what Bishop Adrian described as “today’s needs of a flourishing Isle of Dogs community.” He said that the new building was “a fantastic example of how the Diocese is working confidently to foster its ministry in East London.”

The Priest Missioner at St Luke’s, Ed Dix, said: “With so many new homes being built all around us on the Isle of Dogs, the church family at St Luke’s is overjoyed that we too will soon have a new home, to share with each other and with our local community.

“Our vision as a church is to be overflowing with the life of God, and the installation of the spire on the new church building . . . is a big sign to our neighbours that we are here: to be a blessing to all, and to point people to the Risen Lord Jesus.”

COMMUNITY

Ukulele Church

by Peter March Across the month of August, St Peter’s Church Glenelg ran a series of experimental church services under the banner of Soul Soup.

The series was a chance to explore a more informal approach to worship and spirituality and was billed as a relaxed time to sing, chat, discuss, reflect and share friendship around a light “soupy” meal with a few prayers and songs thrown in!

The third evening of the series was called Ukulele Church, which Rev’d Michele Yuen says was an idea that came to her following a conversation with members of the church’s youth group, “I was sharing (to the middle school-aged gathering) how I wanted to learn to play the ukulele this year, then all the kids said ‘Michele, Michele, I’ll show you how to play the ukulele’, and I was surprised, I didn’t realise that at St Peter’s Woodlands, they weren’t taught to play the recorder like I was at school, but ukulele was what they were taught.”

Following further investigation, Michele discovered that ukulele was far more popular than she might have first imagined and pounced on the opportunity to use it to reach those in the local community, “(As) I realised that young people knew how to play the ukulele, (that) there are local ukulele clubs less than two-hundred metres away from the church, people had ukuleles that they’d given to family and friends, and people thought it was a fun instrument to play. Ukulele makes everybody smile.”

Michele explains that Soul Soup was born out of St Peter’s Glenelg’s vision planning process that took place last year, “we came back deciding that we wanted to engage in the greater community, engage with the school being St Peter’s Woodlands in a more strategic way, build faith community and reach out to the greater Glenelg community. And through that process

we heard that people wanted to be engaged through alternative forms of worship, bible study groups, contemplation and various other activities.

are as a faith community and another way of inviting people in to the church community as well.”

“Soul Soup and Ukulele Church is a great way that we can learn and understand what resources we have within our parish community, and it’s another way that we can share and express our discipleship by trying something outside of the box.”

Along with Ukulele Church the Soul Soup series included an evening full of contemplation activities such as meditation, biblical reflection, taizé and looking at what digital resources are out there to help us through that journey, as well as a café church, where participants engaged in conversations around great Christian topics and struggles that Christians go through when sharing their faith.

“It becomes something that compliments what we do and gives opportunity to people who feel that a traditional service is not for them.

It’s another way to express who we

Photos by Julia Denny-Dimitriou.

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COMMUNITY

Guardian recognised by Religious Press Association The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide’s quarterly publication Guardian was recognised by the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) at its recent awards night, receiving bronze in the category of Best Original Photography.

More than 300 entries competed across the 23 awards categories amidst a spirit of playful rivalry.

The Salvation Army’s in-house magazine ‘Others’ claimed the title of Publication of the Year, while the NZ Baptist magazine received the prestigious Gutenberg Award.

The awards night was held as part of ARPA’s Annual Conference, which took place this year in Brisbane from 7 - 8

Third Session of the 43rd Triennial Synod Prayer For Growth Living God, we thank you for your vision for the whole creation and that you call us to share in your mission.

We pray that you grow your church: Bring more people to faith in Jesus Deepen our trust in you and knowledge of you Help us to serve and bless our community And strengthen us to be generous with the money and resources you give us.

May we grow as disciples of Jesus and make disciples of others for the blessing of the world you love. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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September at the Novotel Hotel.

Set to the theme of “Communicating Hope & Trust in a Public Faith”, members gathered from across Australia and New Zealand from a host of mostly Christian publications.

Discussion revolved primarily around the challenges Christian communicators face in a society that is putting increasing pressure on groups and individuals to keep their faith private.

ARPA President Peter Bentley reflected on this saying, “Over the last year, the place of Christians and the Church in the public sphere has been a subject of significant reflection, discussion and debate.

“ARPA is pleased to now focus on how the church, particularly through Christian media, can again consider communicating hope and trust in a public faith that provides Australia and New Zealand with a foundation of common good. Our Christian heritage is a light that should not be hidden in a world searching for hope.”

The 2019 ARPA Conference will be held in Christchurch, NZ from 6 - 7 September.

COMMUNITY

Film Review:

Green Book A subtle and refreshing twist on the road trip journey.

Peter Farrelly is better known for writing and directing boundary-breaking, comedic films like There’s Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber with his brother and directing partner, Bobby. To take on a biographical buddy film with an underlying statement on the topic of racism seems to be outside of the typical fare for the creator of classic comedic characters like Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels). After a chance meeting with the son of Frank Anthony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) and hearing the story of the New York bouncer’s and the celebrated pianist Dr. Don Shirley’s (Mahershala Ali) road trip across the deep South, the director could not get the story out of his head. This lead to the change of lanes in his directing style, leaving behind his trademark methods and Farrally eventually was able to convince all parties involved to let him head up on the project.

In the social battleground of the southern portion of the United States, Dr. Don Shirley’s record studio decided to support the artist in making an artistic and political statement with a two month tour. The challenge was for the musical team to find the right man to fill the role of driver and bodyguard for this eccentric genius of the keyboard.

Frank Anthony Vallelonga, aka Tony Lip, answers the request for a unique driving position while on a break from his bouncing position at the Copacabana club to not only get the pianist to his performances, but to keep him safe.

As they travel from New York to the Deep South, both men come to the realisation that they inhabit two very different worlds. Despite their divergent educational backgrounds, it is the men’s skin colour that becomes the determining factor in where they eat and sleep. These two men become reliant on The Green Book, a travel guide for African Americans to find safe

lodging and dining in the South during the era of racial segregation. Eventually, their business relationship turns into a friendship that causes them to change their view of one another and how this journey could impact history.

In modern cinema, the turmultuous tales of the social changes that occurred in the 1960s in the United States has begun to wear thin with the message of most of the films being similar. Despite the market being saturated, Peter Farrelly proves that he had good reason to consider a change in his directorial style for the sake of this story. Green Book manages to do something that most of the other films within this genre fail to achieve, a balanced perspective of the views of society and both characters expereince change in thier attitudes. Understanding that for the world to change, the best place to start is seeing how change must occur in thier own lives.

The concept is simple enough, two men from different sides of town who must travel in close quarters that will force them to see how the other side lives.

Mortensen and Ali are perfect in their roles and manage to embody the men they represent and successfully depict each of their personal life transitions.

Farrelly manages to show that both men are flawed and despite their personal prejudices, he utilises humour, violence and the human experience to show that they are better men, because of their friendship. The director manages this in both men by first breaking through the tough veneer of the Italian bouncer by showing him experiencing the beauty of the arts and the acceptance that the world is not as clear-cut as his simple

life in the Bronx. Then going on to show Don Shirley’s discomfort in the world of white privilege coupled with his difficulty with connecting with those that represented his heritage, which became a subtle twist that brings these two men together in an unconventional manner.

Green Book is a fascinating story that helps to shed light on the bigger changes that occurred during this time period in the world’s history. Farrelly does not shy away from the raw tensions that arise in society and in the relationship of these men. This aspect of the film means that this screenplay contains mature language and situations that will not be appropriate for the younger viewer. Leaving open the possibility of every adult being able to attend this film that will touch on an aspect of their lives that will allow for a world of discussion and even potential changes in their lives.

REEL DIALOGUE: Road trips in the Bible This film manages to bring to mind the stories of men who travelled together on road trips in the book of Acts, like Paul and Barnabas. Showing that despite their differences in birthplace, financial status and communication skills, these two men needed one another and were better as a team. Not that tensions did not arise in their relationship or through their actions, these men showed the value of their differences and that they were complimentary for their work and lives.

Russelling Review: http://russellingreveiws.blogspot.com.au

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