TOGETHER
IN MISSION December 2018
IN THIS EDITION Women and the church: Fearful silence or joyful voices? What’s happening at: Seaton Baptist Church Salem Baptist celebrates 175 years Ros Gooden receives the Emeritus Mead Award
A movement of local churches thriving in Jesus transforming the world.
FOR PRAYER 10-20 DECEMBER •
Global Ineraction: Pray for God’s hand to be in the selection of the next National Director.
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Global Interaction: Pray for an efficient launch of the Yawo dictionary in Malawi. Praise God for what He has done through Ian.
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Baptist Care staff are dealing with disruption associated with new government regulations that may impact their future employment.
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Global Interaction: Pray for Catherine’s relationships with her language nurturers in Cambodia.
21-31 DECEMBER •
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West Beach: Pray for people in our district, and throughout our State, to be drawn to Jesus, particularly at this Christmas time. Global Interaction: Praise God for the safe arrival of Luke, Rachel and their kids in Cambodia. Pray that God’s Spirit would be their strength and guide as they begin work.
The end of Mark’s gospel seems quite abrupt - especially when compared to other gospels
Dr Karen Walker Acting President
Fearful Silence or Joyful Voices? Mark 16: 1 – 8 recounts the journey of a small group of women Jesus followers going to his tomb early in the morning following the Sabbath day. During their walk together they discuss the need for getting help to move the heavy stone placed over the tomb’s entrance but on their arrival they see that the stone has been moved and sitting just inside the tomb is a young male figure. He speaks to the women, reassuring them, telling them that the Jesus of Nazareth they had travelled with and loved, who had been crucified, was now risen. Furthermore he commands them to go and tell Peter and the other disciples that Jesus was going to Galilee where he would meet them. The final sentences of the gospel are
Baptist Care staff who are living with acute and long term illness at both personal and family levels.
puzzling because we read that “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out
Global Interaction: Pray for Andy and Rachel following their recent resignation. Pray that God’s peace and guidance will be upon them.
Now, I know that these women had constantly been with Jesus and the other
1-12 JANUARY
and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”
disciples, sharing in, ministering to and providing for the group as they travelled the dusty roads in Galilee and Judea. These were gutsy generous women who had
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Global Interaction: Pray for David and Jane as they plan for events and connections for Global Mission in 2019.
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Baptist Care staff who are wrestling with issues and consequences around relationship breakdown, past and present.
and now, here they were, at the empty tomb with the joyous news of his promised
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Global Interaction: Pray for the emerging faith communities in Thailand. Pray for Dema and Carolyn as they support these communities and thank God for the recent baptism of O.
afraid”.
Baptist Care gives thanks for the sense of unity and purpose that is being seen around its new Strategic Horizons Plan.
wonderful, stupendous news. They knew their other friends were distraught and
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gone against the convention of their time by travelling the region with a group of men to whom they were unrelated. They had been present at Jesus’ crucifixion resurrection and Mark writes that “the women said nothing because they were
Of what might they have been afraid? The news they had was surely great, in hiding, confused over the events of the previous week, and they too felt the
13-19 JANUARY
sadness in their own souls. And now here we read they are afraid to share their
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Baptist Care needs prayer and guidance for the selection of the three new Executive Leader roles.
joyous good news with the other disciples?
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Salisbury: Pray for the church to grow and be effective in evangelism & making disciples.
One brief but important point should be made here. In first century Palestine
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Global Interaction: Pray for David and Susie and their kids as they continue to develop partnerships across SA, preparing for their service in Malawi.
20-26 JANUARY •
Pray that the Lord will go ahead of Baptist Care SA as we seek to support vulnerable people along Transition Pathways from Adversity to Opportunity.
women were not permitted a voice in the public realm, in matters of faith, commerce, law or politics. A woman’s sphere of influence was confined to the home and using her voice outside the domestic realm was almost unknown. Imagine then the women’s consternation at being told to announce the good news of Jesus’ resurrection to the men of their group. Of course the women were afraid. ‘Even silence is sometimes more comfortable than a radical change and a
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Pray for the Acting President, Dr Karen Walker.
new beginning. No doubt they did find it hard to believe that they really did have
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Global Interaction: Praise God for the connections that Rob and Deb are making with their Khmer neighbours.
a voice, a gospel to proclaim, good news to shout to the world.’
27-31 JANUARY •
Pray that God will provide the financial needs of the Kompiam PNG hospital.
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Pray for friends recently baptised.
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Pray for finance to keep coming in for the Grace Family Home; also for Hoa’s health.
1-10 FEBRUARY •
Pray for Mike Mills and staff, Andrew Turner (Church Development Facilitator), Melinda Cousins (Dir. Ministry Accreditation), Beth Hoy (Next Gen Ministry Facilitator) Elliot Keane (Leadership Development Facilitator).
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Pray for our pastors.
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Baptist World Aid Australia helps many countries after earthquakes, etc.
Here in SA we are encouraging our women to develop their preaching gifts, to find their voice, equipping them to preach the good news and grow in confidence and skills through the Women’s Preachers Network. A safe and nurturing space for our young and not so young women, it has been an exciting initiative which will enrich our movement of churches in the months and years ahead. I do not want our women to be afraid or their voices silenced but rather earnestly desire that they are equipped and affirmed in their gifts to strengthen the body of Christ using their voices. As the body of Christ we need to hear all voices of those gifted and called to preach. Let us encourage them to preach boldly and with joy with the great news of our resurrected Lord.
TiM News from our churches
What’s happening at
SEATON BAPTIST CHURCH Seaton Baptist Church is a church at the
actually), meet for prayer every Sunday
enjoyed hearing the history of the church
cross roads (and not only geographically).
at 9.15am in front of the church
and various speakers reminiscing about
People come, some visit, others stay;
(weather permitting). Our prayers are
activities and programs over the years.
still others stay a while…then move
focusing on our two Churches, the
There was also a display of photos and
on. We gather, worship, proclaim the
community and the passersby.
memorabilia and special mention was
Name above all Names and live out our lives in the world for His glory.
The Outreach Ministry was born from the desire to make inroads into the
made of all who were encouraged, prayed for and sent out by the church.
community and meet our neighbors
Various speakers shared their memories
at their places. At the moment the
with some long overdue ‘confessions’.
A midweek service (3rd Wed. each
only two activities are street walking
All were thankful for God’s leading and
month) geared towards people who
and prayer. It is our desire to explore
faithfulness over the last 100 years.
are not able to make it to our Sunday
other ways of reaching out.
Our ministries include:
morning services. A weekly prayer
The celebrations continued on Sunday with
Friday Lunch Ministry is a place where
a challenging message by Rev. Mike Mills
friends gather to serve great tasting
based on Revelations 3. Mike encouraged
Each Thursday (weekly, school terms)
home cooked-style meals. This is a
us to honour God in our lifestyle, deeds
a group of around 30 ladies meet for
fortnightly event where our members
and words. A lunch followed where Rev.
Share In (craft and chat). With roots
are encouraged to invite their friends.
Neil Adcock cut the anniversary cake.
that go back to the early years of
The Friday Lunch Ministry is involved
The church was filled with love, joy and
conception, many friendships have
in helping missions and charities.
friendship.
group meets on Wednesday evenings.
been developed and the group is ever ready to contribute to different needs in the community. A group of believers from our church and the Grace Assembly Church
Birthday celebrations A century of God’s faithfulness was celebrated by Seaton Baptist Church on the last weekend in August.
(Indian believers who worship next
A catered dinner was held on Saturday
door (across the small Car Park
evening and approximately 90 people
We thanked God for the past and look to the future to continue being faithful to Him and being a clear reflection of Jesus Christ to our community. We invite you to join us in praising the Lord for His faithfulness. Pray for us!
TiM News from our churches
Salem Baptist celebrates 175 years On Sunday, November 4th, many gathered to give praise and thanks for 175 years of continuous worship in Gumeracha. A morning service was held, followed by lunch. There was also a display of historical photos and a slide show by Mr Alan Phillips, followed by af ternoon tea. The first preaching of the Gospel in Gumeracha began in 1843, with services regularly held in the kitchen of the dairy (W.B Randell’s store), then occupied by Mr T.V Cornish. The Salem Church building was completed in February 1846. Services on the opening day were conducted by Mr Thomas Playford (great grandfather of the Hon. Thomas Playford, who served as Premier of South Australia from 1938-1965).
Responsibility begins with response By Andrew Turner Church Development Facilitator
Previous pastors returning for the celebrations: Brian Teakle (1988-91), Malcolm Wilson (2005-13), Peter Leith (2014 - present), Stephen Mills (2004), Malcolm Eberhard (1976-85)
Ros Gooden receives the Emeritus Mead Award The Emeritus Mead Award was created by the Assembly Board in 2017 to recognize the significant contribution of Baptist academics through their teaching, research, mentoring and leadership roles to the life and leadership development of those within our movement of churches. At Assembly on the 17th November, Dr Roaslind Gooden was presented with The Emeritus Mead Award. The award recognizes the significant contribu tion of Dr. Rosalind Go o den to b oth the Bap tis t Churches in South Australia and the wider Australian Baptist church movement. In her nineteen years with Global Interaction, serving in East Pakistan/Bangladesh, Rosalind taught church leaders and was involved in establishing the Bible Students’ Fellowship of Bangladesh. With a vision for theological training of pastors and leaders in Bangladesh, Rosalind was central in the development of the College of Christian Theology Bangladesh (CC TB) and in establishing a language scho ol fo cuse d on equipping expatriates to speak Bengali. Rosalind has also served faithfully on the Global Interaction Board and as the Director of Training and
Sacred Agents
Personnel Development, where she developed curriculum and mentored individuals preparing for overseas mission. Rosalind has also been actively involved in a variety of leadership roles at Flinders Street Baptist Church. Rosalind’s passion in Baptist history led to the successful completion of her PhD and she continues to speak at both national and international conferences, write papers for numerous journals and publications and is an active member of the SA Baptist History group. The Assembly Board recognises Rosalind for her long term and significant contribution to the grow th and development of leader s wi thin b o th the SA Baptist Movement and the wider Australian and international Baptist communities. We give thanks to God for her passion and faithful service among our Baptist church family and conferring of the Emeritus Mead Award is an apt and proper recognition of her work.
“In the unlikely event of an emergency, oxygen masks will fall from the ceiling.” If you’ve flown before, you know the drill. And the next part of the safety message: “Be sure to fit your own mask correctly before assisting others.” It makes sense, doesn’t it? The faster you get yourself sorted, the sooner you’ll be able to help others. But it doesn’t seem to make sense to many of us sacred agents. When we share the gospel, we often forget that part. Calling people to a response – to ‘hurry up and get themselves sorted’ with God – seems a bit pushy to us. Aussies don’t like to be pushed. And Jesus isn’t pushy, is he? Is he? Actually, the urgency of being reconciled to God is all through his teaching. “Reconcile quickly with your adversary, even on the way to the judge.” Won’t a king facing a stronger king “send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace”? And all those parables about being ready because we never know when we’ll face the Master. Our news is not merely that God loves everyone. If our message can be met with “that’s good to know” or “that’s lovely to think about” then it’s much less than the gospel. Imagine Fred proposing to Helen over and over and getting that response … and then Helen’s agony when she sees Fred finally marry Susan instead! Jesus is not just the pilot announcing “It’s all going to be OK, go back to what you were doing.” He calls people to action – to come and belong to him and join his mission. The people who do so – who emphatically and publicly say “Yes” to Christ in baptism, getting themselves quickly sorted with God – these are the ones who (masks fitted and breathing in the Spirit) will go on to help others also find life in Christ. For responsibility begins with a response. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself in Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation … We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5)
TiM On mission
Giving Good News at Christmas Christmas is fast approaching. The pageant in Adelaide was held a few weeks ago and the shops are full of mince pies and decorations. The physical dimensions of Christmas gain prominence in Australia. Gift buying and Santa visits, family meals and carol singing feature. The anticipation of children and adults of surprises under the Christmas tree fuels expectations of Christmas Day.
and beyond is bearing fruit and transforming lives. Regularly news of conversions and baptisms come into my inbox. One such account is of a woman who found hope in the Living One through her role as a language nurturer. In becoming more gracious, her husband noticed and became interested. A year later he shared his wife’s conviction and they have recently been baptised.
Yet we know that Christmas is so much more than all these things. The true meaning lies in the most generous gift ever given. God’s gift of Jesus to the world. God dwells amongst humanity on earth (John 1:14). This action opened the door to God’s plan for salvation for all humanity (Matthew 1: 18-25).
Your giving and praying throughout 2018 has made this possible. God’s provision for SA/NT workers of Global Interaction causes much rejoicing. Luke and Rachel are nearing 100% support and are settling well into Cambodia. Over $60,000 per annum of new giving resulted from the 100 People 100 Days mid-year campaign.
God’s action provides a model for physical and spiritual generosity. God’s incarnation demonstrates the value of immersing ourselves in local communities and building relationships. Global Interaction workers recognise the value of this and as a result they will have numerous conversations on the meaning of Christmas and opportunities to answer related questions. The increasing influence of the West in these contexts is evident in the visual presence of Christmas and this sparks curiosity. Please pray for our workers in all the interactions they have in this season.
The Global Interaction SA/NT team look forward to partnering with BCSA churches and individuals in 2019. Several key dates to note: 16 March for Global Inspire and late February Unearthed. Planning for May is underway. More information to follow. Merry Christmas to you all on behalf of the Global Interaction SA/NT team. Thank you for your faithfulness, generosity and for being steadfast prayers, we value your partnership with us and thank God for you. May you know peace and joy in Jesus throughout this season and throughout the new year
Sharing the good news in the nine people groups
FAMILY UPDATES Luke and Rachel – settling into Cambodia
SAVE THE DATE FOR EVENTS Late February - Unearthed (An opportunity for young adults to share and support one another in mission) 16 March – Global Inspire Official launch for 2019. Come and hear from exciting speakers over breakfast. *watch for more information on these events early 2019
Catherine – enjoying new house Marc and Rachel – resigned in March 2018 Rob and Deb – excellent community engagement Andy and Rachel – withdrew candidacy in October 2018 Ian – preparing for dictionary project launch David and Susie - looking for opportunities to share Dema and Carolyn – supporting emerging faith communities
TiM On mission
Transition Pathways from Adversity toward Opportunity Empowered by the call of the Gospels to ‘BE SALT and ‘SHED LIGHT’ in lives and communities, Baptist Care SA is continuing to address the needs of vulnerable and disengaged people and communities whose lives are impacted by the three social plagues of the 21st Century: Hopelessness – My life experience gives me no reason to believe that tomorrow will be any better than today or yesterday, so why even try… Helplessness – I am a ‘ship at sea in a storm’. Meaning, I can’t see any lighthouses on the horizon and I don’t have a compass or the skills or resources to find my way out of despair Disconnection – I don’t have anyone in my life that I can trust. I don’t have anyone or anything that could help or encourage me. In short, no one cares about me! Unfortunately, our dedicated staff and volunteers see the effects of these three ‘plagues’ on an increasing number of groups and individuals across our modern Australian society every day.
Christmas gifts for children experiencing homelessness Our Christmas Appeal is all about ‘Sharing a smile this Christmas’ and we invite you to give a gift to a child experiencing homelessness to make their day. N ew u nw ra p p e d g i f t s ca n b e delivered to our Inner City Reception, 11-19 Millers Court, Adelaide before Friday 7 December 2018. If you would prefer to donate money towards a gift, please visit baptistcaresa.secure.force.com and select ‘Christmas Toy Appeal’ from the dropdown menu.
Gift ideas 0-2yo
Bath toys, books with sound buttons, squeaky toys
1. https://www.dpc.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/21529/Child-Protection-in-South-Australia.pdf 2. & 3. https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/department/reporting-and-statistics
Do these sad realities challenge you? Whilst we may feel challenged by these statistics…we can also be inspired by the courage of the vulnerable people that Baptist Care SA works with. They inspire us to ‘double down’ on the work with our valued supporters and the many service delivery partners that share our values and are aligned with our purposes. Under our bold new Strategic Horizons Plan, we are aligning our efforts and resources to streamline and further strengthen with the Transition Pathways that we can support people through. In short, our strategy is to make healthy steps easy steps.
3-5yo
Large cars, dolls, pop out books
6-8yo
Action figures, games, soccer balls, cricket sets
We extend sincere thanks to all the people and SA businesses who continue to prayerfully, financially and practically support our increasing obsession for respectfully walking alongside vulnerable and disconnected people, groups and communities and assisting them to forge a transition pathway that sees them break away from layers of adversity and move toward greater opportunities, positive community connections and more fulfilling lives.
9-12yo
Games, footballs, basketballs
Facilitating these Transition Pathways must become our obsession over the next 3-5 years!
Deoderant packs, make-up, purses, wallets, Gift vouches (e.g. Westfield, JB Hi Fi, etc)
To that end, Baptist Care is aiming to foster mutually beneficial initiatives within the Baptist Movement that build capacity to connect vulnerable people with communities. We invite you and your Church to talk to with us to explore what we might be able to achieve together.
13-15yo
Blessings and thanks to all who share our commitment to effective change in lives and communities. Graham Brown Chief Executive Officer
TiM On mission
Help hope break through memory… but in the midst of all that darkness, Yan caught her first glimpse of hope. It was later on and near the lake that a kind woman found her. “When she saw me, she talked to me,” says Yan.
Imagine growing up without love of any kind. Imagine how hopeless you would feel… how dark your world would be.
“She found out that I had been taken from somewhere and that no one wanted to feed me.” Like Yan, this woman was Cambodian… and, also like Yan, she was searching for a family to love.
When Yan was just a little girl, this was the reality of her life in rural Cambodia.
“She did not have a child, so, she adopted me and raised me,” Yan explains.
“I did not have my own parents, I did not know where I am from,” says Yan. “I lived with some people, they beat me. They did not love me like their own children.”
Yan’s new mother loved her very much, but she was also poor… and growing up in rural Cambodia is not easy when you are surrounded by poverty.
For many years Yan lived in misery, searching for the beginnings of hope. Then, one day, the other children she lived with threw her in the middle of a nearby lake to see if she could swim.
Many years later, now a mother herself, Yan is desperate for her three children to have childhoods that are full of the hope she struggled to find herself… and thanks to your generosity, her children are brimming with hope for the future!
“After I swallowed some water, they picked me back out. They tortured me,” Yan remembers. It was a horrible day. It is horrible
With your support, our Christian partner in the field began work in Yan’s
communit y. With their help, she and her husband learned to raise chickens and pigs to sell… they even started a small business basket weaving! “Life has become much better. We are not very upset like we were before,” Yan says happily. “We have money to buy food, to eat, and to support the children.” This Christmas, you have the opportunity to help hope break into the lives of families living in poverty… right across our broken world. Your generous gift to the Be Hope Christmas Appeal means new livelihoods for mums like Yan and food and education for their precious children. Jesus calls us to be the light in this dark world. Help the light of hope break through. Be generous and give to Be Hope Christmas Appeal today. Go to: baptistworldaid.org.au/behope
‘Share’ - a life changing gift this Christmas Almost 1 in 2 Australians will experience mental ill health some time in their lifetimes ; and an estimated 3% of adults will be severely affected. . For these people, and for many others, loneliness, grief, money worries, fractured relationships and reflections over another year gone will come to a head this Christmas. Relationships and social connections have a real impact on psychological well-being. Yet, either as a result of their symptoms or the stigma associated with their diagnosis, people living with severe mental ill-health often experience social isolation. Christmas, with its emphasis on spending time with friends and family, is a particularly vulnerable time. S adly, the ‘sys te m’ s imp ly is n’ t resourced to provide the crucial social support that’s needed, but churches can. Baptist Care SA’s ‘Share’ program par tners with local churches to address and reduce social isolation, moving people from feeling hopeless to hopeful.
‘Share’ connects people struggling with mental ill health (‘friends’) into supportive and intentional friendships with church-based volunteer ‘buddies’. Pairs meet weekly, with activities focused around the needs and interests within the friendship. ‘ It’s a simple, easy to run, easy to resource program which has had life changing results. In the two years leading up to the formation of the first Share group, future participants spent a combined 545 bed days in hospital with mental health issues at a cost of almost half a million dollars. Several years later none of the group have returned to hospital for a single night. “This is the power of sharing your life with people that accept you,’ explains Senior Project Manager, Health, Wellbeing & Ageing, Anne Van Loon. Jo Schatz works in a Community Engagement role at Grange Baptist Church, one of four churches who have adopted the ‘Share’ Program. ‘People are so desperate for social
interaction - it’s so valuable. Going for coffee, long chats about politics this is something our buddies can do, rather than paid social workers.’ Baptist Care SA provides training, set up and ongoing support, but, as Jo observes, it’s an easy program for churches with a heart for social justice to adopt and make their own, as Grange has done. ‘’Share’ is life giving. We didn’t expect just how much we’d come to care for our new friends,’ she adds. ‘The beauty of the program is it’s so tangible, churches can really make a difference in someone’s life in their community.’ Give a life changing gift this Christmas. Contact Anne Van Loon at avanloon@ baptistcaresa.org,au or (08) 8273 7100 to learn how you or your church can become involved in ‘Share’. Jo Schatz, Grange Baptist Church Oasis Minister
BAPTISMS
Lighthouse Community Church Matthew Ragless, Daniel Allen and Garry Allen were baptised on 23/9/18
Victor Harbor Baptist Church Isobel Palmer, Shantel Pike, Wilem Dunkley, Mackenzie Lambell, Katie Wright, Ben Roberts, Kimberly Roberts, Josh Roberts and Samara Sadler were baptised at the beach on 7/10/18 To see photos from the baptisms and more articles, head to our website at tim.sabaptist.asn.au/baptisms
SAVE THE DATE
Rostrevor Baptist Church Guifen, Yanling, Michelle, Rachel, Keh Lee, Yan, Wei and George were baptised following completion of the Alpha course on7/10/18
4D Conference 18th May 2019
Joe was baptised at the Rostrevor Broadview Campus by Pastor Reuben on 7/10/18
Pastors Conference 7-8 August 2019
Ryan was baptised by his youth leader Reece on 28/10/18
Resourcing Christian Ministry Unley Park Baptist Church
www.bfs.org.au
Reza Eshghi-Azar was baptised on 22/7/18
Morialta Charitable Trust Fund Morialta Charitable Trust Fund has been supporting disadvantaged Children, Young People and their families in South Australia through its annual program of Distributions for 40 years. To enable the Fund to continue this support through Community Organisations in South Australia Morialta Charitable Trust Fund seeks donations from the public. Donations of $2- and above are Tax Deductible and can be forwarded to the Morialta Charitable Trust Fund at PO Box 92 Crafers SA 5152.
Together in Mission Issued By Baptist Churches of South Australia Inc 35–39 King William Road, Unley, SA 5061 08 8357 1755 tim.sabaptist.asn.au
What’s on IN OUR COMMUNITY
Courage | Integrity | Relationships Collaboration | Accountability Baptist Financial Services Australia Limited ABN 56 002 861 789 AFSL 311062
Have a story worth sharing? Email: info@sabaptist.asn.au
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Mailing Address Baptist Churches of SA PO Box 432 UNLEY SA 5061 info@sabaptist.asn.au
BAPTIST 40+ SINGLES Our first dinner for 2019 Saturday 19th January Place: Hendon Hotel, 110 Tapleys Hill Road, Holden Hill Time: 6:30pm Cost: Very reasonable! RSVP: Tuesday 15th January to Helen and Brian on 8341 8283 or Helen on 0411 772 475 or Brian on 0411 772 457 LONDON B&B A lovely home, self-catering facilities, spacious rooms, easy city access, reasonable rates. Email: rachelallen1234@gmail.com Ph: +44 2086946538 Mob: +44 7970 024 995