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news FEBRUARY 2021
Counselling service opens North Beach Baptist Church Senior Pastor, Grant Hendry explained the service, financially subsidised and sited next door to the Church, is open to people from any church and the wider community. “There is definitely a need for Biblical counselling to support and encourage people day-today,” Grant said. “We live in challenging times – reaching out for help is a sign of strength that is to be admired.” The service is available for everyone, at any stage of their life, whether that’s overcoming grief, relationship breakdown, anxiety or family issues. “We see our role as providing a reliable, safe, quality, service that is there for all who need it, when they need it – we will never refuse anyone counselling over lack of funds,” Grant explained. The first counselling session will be provided free of charge, with a sliding scale based on income for subsequent sessions. Crossway Counselling Centre Practice Coordinator, Leanne Sharp explained that it is important that the counselling centre is located separately from the church. “This is a confidential, safe space where people can
feel comfortable entering and discussing what is important to them,” she said. With six trained counsellors from within and outside of North Beach Baptist Church and a reception service from volunteers within the Church, Crossway welcomes anyone over the age of ten experiencing problems or difficulties whether they have a faith or not. The consulting rooms are tastefully decorated, however the journey to convert the house into a counselling centre was not straightforward. The project has evolved over time, first being discussed seven years ago when North Beach Baptist Church first commenced a small biblical counselling ministry. Then 18 months ago, a development team was set up to decide if it was viable to establish a more formal service. “The building was a house that has been owned by the church for many years, but even so, we had to navigate some very costly and stringent local government processes in order to get permission to use it as a counselling centre. That, and COVID-19 led to a delay in commencing services,” Grant said.
Photo: Sally Grandy
Crossway Counselling Centre opened its doors for the first-time last October with the goal to provide affordable counselling which aligns to biblical truths.
North Beach Baptist Church Senior Pastor, Grant Hendry and Crossway Counselling Centre Practice Coordinator, Leanne Sharp outside the freshly converted Crossway Counselling Centre premises.
However, in the end the delay worked in the team’s favour, as it gave them time to establish what they wanted to achieve out of the service and to make the building more suitable for clients. Grant is in no doubt that it will be a success, explaining that it is a biblically-focused service because of the deep conviction of
the church that God’s truth and God’s grace will be the greatest driver for lasting change. “I know that biblical counselling works as God is good and understanding the grace of God and its impact on life will always be profoundly helpful,” he said. “Faith isn’t about following a list of rules, it is about being
inspired, shaped and prepared to be challenged to face life with confidence on a daily basis.” For more information, visit crosswaycounselling.org.au Author – Sally Grandy
Fútbol scores a new friendship at Baptistcare
Several times a month, Colombian volunteer Felipe Angel pops in to say, “hola” to 88 year old Spanish Baptistcare resident and Real Madrid fan Pedro Lopez. The conversations are always, naturally, in Spanish. “In Colombia people do not volunteer as they do not have the time. So, when I came to Australia seven years ago and my wife got a volunteering job it sounded like a good thing to do,” Felipe said. “Losing my job during the pandemic was my opportunity to do volunteering work.” The lockdown meant the Felipe and Pedro met for the first time via FaceTime, but now the new friends catch up in person, chatting about everything from family life to politics and football. Pedro’s wife, Paulina, has Alzheimer’s and is also a Baptistcare David Buttfield Centre resident, often joins her husband for the catch ups.
“Pedro and Paulina tell me what their lives were like in Spain and I tell them about growing up in Colombia,” Felipe shared. “We both love football and Pedro is a huge fan of Real Madrid – he tells me about the team 50 years ago and about the dictatorship before 1975.” “We also talk about our families. He has great-grandchildren and I have a 17 year old son.” Felipe has a new job now but has kept up his visits to Baptistcare David Buttfield Centre, where Pedro and Paulina have lived since May 2020. “It makes me feel good to go to Baptistcare and chat to Pedro,” Felipe said. “You don’t realise how rewarding it is to do volunteer work until you do it.” “I do it because I know it will make Pedro happy.” Staff at Baptistcare David Buttfield Centre said that Pedro has a big smile on his face and a
spring in his step when he knows Felipe is going to visit him. Felipe is one of several bilingual volunteers at Baptistcare. Between them, they speak Spanish, French, Mandarin and Cantonese, but more volunteers fluent in a second language are always needed. Baptistcare Volunteer and Engagement Consultant, Lily Meszaros said the aged care provider was currently looking for volunteers who spoke Italian, Macedonian, Dutch or Malay. “We continue to see increasing cultural diversity in our facilities, which means bilingual volunteers have become more important than ever,” she said. “Not only do residents enjoy opportunities to chat in their native language, but some revert back to their childhood languages.” “Our volunteers can really help when communication between the resident and our staff becomes more difficult.” For more information, visit baptistcare.com.au/volunteering
Photo: Baptistcare
Real Madrid, the Spanish football team have helped forge a new friendship at the Baptistcare David Buttfield Centre Residential Care in Gwelup.
Baptistcare David Buttfield Centre resident Pedro Lopez and volunteer Felipe Angel catching up about their shared passion – football.