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JUNE 2018
Vose Seminary is undergoing a period of enormous growth on all fronts. Vose Principal Dr Brian Harris is presently away on a sabbatical at Spurgeon’s College as a visiting ‘distinguished scholar’. While there, he hopes to make some headway on his latest book, which will be a text for pastoral ministry. Brian’s recent book, titled Why Christianity Is Probably True is due to be released in October this year. Acting Principal Dr Graeme Cross said with numerous visiting guest lecturers, keynote speakers and presenters arriving on campus on a regular basis, there has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the Vose community. “In April, we had Dr Paul Windsor from the Langham Partnership bring a two-day preaching seminar, and in August Dr Tremper Longman III will be the keynote speaker at the Vose Conference,” Graeme said. “Also in August, we will welcome the Reverend Steve Dixon, who will be delivering a one-week intensive on youth ministry leadership.”
Director of Business Development and Online Learning Cate Vose said the Vose student body continues to flourish in all sorts of ways. This semester Vose had a record number of new students enrolling in its degree level courses, and new teaching hubs are being developed with Riverview Church and Lake Joondalup Baptist Church as well as an ever-expanding offering of online and intensive units. “These developments mean it is now easier than ever to study at Vose,” Cate said. “It is a joy to create space for students to have transformative encounters with Jesus through the exploration of Scripture, community life, prayer and reflection.” “On a positive note for current and prospective students, a successful application to become a provider of VET student loans now means that students can enrol in the Diploma of Leadership and Management through Vose Training and access financial support from the Department of Education and Training,” Cate added. In the past months, key partnerships with Christian Schools Australia and YouthCARE
Photo: Nika Savins
What’s coming up at Vose?
Jakeb Gosling looks after the popular Bake Sale stand at the Vose Annual Book Sale.
are also bringing spiritual formation and biblical literacy projects to life, which will support the work of those organisations. “In amongst the growth, new life and packed calendar of events, our students, staff and
faculty are invited each week into a space of reflection and worship at our Wednesday chapel and spiritual formation program,” Graeme said. “At the heart of all we are doing, is an unwavering
commitment to the pursuit of the Kingdom of God in all its many expressions.” For more information, visit www.vose.edu.au
Late last year, Baptist World Aid Australia staff met a woman named Sem Rith in a poor rural Cambodian village. She told them her painful story. One of ten children, Rith was only in grade 2 when she dropped out of school. Her parents were too poor for her to continue with her education. “I had to help my family in the farm and look after the younger ones,” Rith explained. “I was not able to follow the lessons and I decided to stop. I was never able to go back.” When you’re an uneducated girl like Rith, you have few prospects. Rith can barely read or write. And with no education to speak of, she had no hope of getting a good job. Years later, and now a mother herself, Rith was stuck doing the only work she’d ever known – growing rice. But even that was not enough. “Rice is not very profitable,” Rith said. “In the rural area, whatever we have, we just eat that … if we have less, we eat less. And in the seasons when we don’t grow
enough rice, we need to beg from others to eat.” This was Rith’s life. A constant struggle to survive. Every waking hour marred by underlying fear – fear of going hungry, fear for her children’s future. And then disaster struck. It happened when Rith was heavily pregnant with her second child and her husband was bedridden with sickness. The rains came. So much rain. Too much rain. Rith could only watch as a huge flood devastated her village and destroyed her crops. Her family was left with nothing. Last month, Baptist World Aid launched its annual Matching Grant Appeal to support work that gives new, urgently needed livelihoods to mothers like Rith. Through the appeal, gifts are matched with an Australian Government aid grant – which means they can have up to six times the impact. And, for Rith, that means six new income streams to help support her family. When Baptist World Aid’s Christian partner in the field set-up a savings group in Rith’s community, she joined. Through Rith’s savings group she learned to keep chickens,
Photo: Baptist World Aid Australia
Mums feel the impact of matching grants
Baptist World Aid Australia’s Matching Grant Appeal helps mums like Sem Rith secure a livelihood.
cows and fish. She also learned the skills to run a business. Today, Rith’s six businesses generate enough income to give all her children the schooling she missed out on herself. “I am uneducated, but I want my children to be educated,” she said. “I want them to have good jobs, so they would not have difficult lives like us.”
“I am very grateful for the Australian supporters that have changed my life … now I am happy, not scared, or worried like before.” That’s why gifts to the Matching Grant Appeal are so important. Without your support, mums like Rith can never escape poverty, or get rid of the fear that lives in their hearts every day.
Help stop the fear in a poor mother’s heart. Fill out the Matching Grant giving envelope in this issue of The Advocate and return it by the 30 June deadline or visit www.baptistworldaid.org.au/ matching-grant Author – Samara Linehan