March-April 2023 IntraSyd

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Alban Matohiti

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

PRESIDENT

Alban Matohiti

Editors & Staff Writers

Joyce Taylor

Lauren Bongard

Graphics

Lynda G. Abreu

Katrina Jorgensen

Nathalia Valenca

Other Contributors

Lauren Bongard

Grace Copoceanu

Daniel Lavaiamat

Pr Richard Reid

There have been two major highlights in the life of the Greater Sydney Conference so far into 2023. As a pastoral team we were blessed to spend one week at Avondale for Empower event. The meetings were organised by Australian Union Conference Ministerial Department for the professional development of ministers Australia-wide and to foster community fellowship.

The second highlight Second was our "Reframe” training session at Macarthur Adventist College on February 18. The first session of two scheduled for this year. How nice it was to meet some of the local leaders of the church. We are blessed to have such a great wealth of knowledge and experience with some of our directors. Be encouraged to make appointments with our departmental directors to assist you and/your church in your ministry. We are here to help.

As a leadership team we are taking time this week to look at our strategic plan and attempt to put some specific goals in place. I would like to share a little bit of our strategic plan.

Vision: A thriving, disciple-making movement in Greater Sydney.

Mission Statement: Make disciples of Jesus Christ who live as His loving witnesses and proclaim to all people

the everlasting gospel of the Three Angels’ Messages in preparation of His soon return. (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Rev 14:6-12).

Purpose Statement: To transform lives for eternity by providing hope, encouraging faith and showing love.

Our five FOCI are:

• Raising the spiritual

• Member empowerment

• Community engagement

• Growing together

• Media engagement

In Job 33:4 the Bible says:

“The Spirit of God has made me: the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

There is nothing coincidental about our lives. The Lord has made us for a purpose. The purpose to be part of the glory of God as he transforms lives and make disciples for his kingdom.

The strategic plan of the Conference will grow strong as each one of us experiences the leading of Jesus in each one of our lives. I encourage each one of us to search our hearts and lives and find out the purpose that God has set aside for each of us.

May God continue to richly bless your lives.

Alban Matohiti

SydneyAdventists @

COMMUNICATION

From Hurt to Hope

GSCComms@adventist.org.au

SUNSET TIMES

In one year, Jim Kaponikolos’ life had been turned completely upside down. But thanks to a connection with Pastor Eddy Johnson And ADRA Blacktown he found a new path. Page 13-15

UPCOMING EVENTS

Save

05-07 May / Adven. & Path. Wknd 2

19-21 May / Lifestyle Coaching Skills Trn

26-27 May / Ministry Support Sab

27 May-03 Jun / Reconciliation Week

04 Jun / Health R. Leadership Brunch

16-18

Read more at bit.ly/2MJvRr5

ATSIM Leaders Unit

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Ministries leaders and the community came together to host our Indigenous Adventist members from the Finke Desert Community in the Northern Territory. Page 06

From our Schools

New Centre for the child victims of homicide opens in Blacktown, Macarthur turns 50, Wahroonga chooses kindness, and SAS recommits it mission of education. Page 10-12

GSC's Southern Border Expands

On Sabbath, 21 January 2023, a special ceremony to welcome the Southern Illawarra Church from the South New South Wales Conference into the Greater Sydney Conference was held. Page 07

Crosslands New Managers

Bruce and Maxine Hill move on from Crosslands, meet the our New manager. Plus, we have resources for you! Here's where to find them.

Page 08-09

editorials

General Secretary Cheonneth Strickland

Christian greetings from the Secretariat's desk. Hope you and your family are going well. Here are a number of items to update you on.

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS

• The old office site at Epping resembles a construction zone. The building has been removed as can be seen from the pictures attached.

• Thank you for completing the Australian Union Conference Attendance Survey on February 18. The data collected will give us insight into what has been happening in Australia and our Conference. Once the results have been collected, I will report back some findings from this data.

• By the end of 2022, here are some statistics about our membership:

CFO Nadelle Manners

• Our new management team, Norm and Lynn Roberts has commenced at Crosslands. We welcome them to the team as we farewell and thank Bruce and Maxine Hill for their 10 years of service.

• A number of new team members have joined the Finance team - a big welcome Finau, Gabriel and Leanne.

• The finance team have been busy finalizing the 2022 financial statements for our Church and Education companies and preparing for the associated financial audits. The results of these financial statements will be shared once the audits

○ Baptisms - 175

○ Rebaptism - 5

○ Profession of Faith - 28

○ Deaths - 83 deaths

○ Removed - 11

• Schools have started well this year. We have 3009 students from K to 12 in our Adventist Schools. We praise God for these students and families that are attending our schools. Staffing of schools with Adventist Teachers is still a challenge. To help with this, Schools Limited is a Standard Business Sponsor which enables us to bring Adventist Teachers from overseas to teach in our schools. There are very strict guidelines in how this is achieved.

• If you listen to the news, you will constantly hear of reform in the Aged Care sector. Some of these reforms include a new Aged Care Act and Standards, Associate guidelines, a star rating system nationally for aged care facilities and new code of conduct for employees. This is only a drop of what is changing in this sector.

Please continue to pray for our Churches, Schools and Aged Care ministries. Even though we live in uncertain times, we can rely on the promise found in Matthew 28:20 “I will be with you always even unto the end of the world.”

have been finalised.

• The ever-changing regulations in the Aged Care space has put additional pressure on our Aged Care system. This as well as the financial challenges that the system has faced over the last few years has led to focus on structure, processes and efficiencies. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as the strategy is being developed.

• Implementation of a specialized NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) internal role in the Schools Ltd entity will provide review and audit processes in the areas of curriculum, teaching, assessment, registration and policy. The last few months has seen collaboration between NNSW and SNSW in the development and implementation of this role.

• Our schools continue to provided an amazing ministry to the children who attend and their families. The challenge this year has been slightly lower enrollment numbers than initially anticipated. We pray that over the coming weeks/ months we will have other families who choose Adventist education for their children.

Through both the challenges and the good times, a reminder of “the joy that is set before” us, is one that we need to reflect on daily. Our church is focused on being a thriving disciple making movement here in Greater Sydney so that we can one day soon experience the joy of being with our amazing God.

As I write this I am looking back at my calendar over the last couple of months. I am reminded of what has been the focus of the Conference which has required input from the Finance team. Here’s a summary:

GSC AND ATSIM DEPARTMENT LEADERS

come together

On Friday night the 20th of January, Greater Sydney Conference leadership, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Ministries (ATSIM) department leaders and the community came together to host our Indigenous Adventist members from the Finke Desert Community in the Northern Territory. Pr Henry Dunn, who is currently between studies at Mamarapha College and our Indigenous Bible worker connected with our Redfern community centre and ATSIM ministries, welcomed the group and lead out in the worship time. Pr Alban Matohiti, President of Greater Sydney Conference, was present and extended an official welcome on behalf of the membership of our conference. It was a delight to come together to share, encourage and fellowship with fellow Indigenous Adventists. A real highlight was during the worship time, when Finke Adventist members sang and shared songs in their own language of Pitjantjatjara, to the delight of all present.

Aputula is the farthest populated place from the sea in Australia, and therefore the nearest settlement to the geographical centre of the continent. There, every Sabbath, you can find a group of Seventh-day Adventists meeting together at the centre of our nation.

Aputula (formerly Finke, until the 1980s) is a remote Indigenous Australian community in the Northern Territory

of Australia. It is 317 km (197 mi) south of Alice Springs and 159 km (99 mi) east of Kulgeraroadhouse on the Stuart Highway, near the border with South Australia.

The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Ministries is an intercultural ministry. It involves consistent oneon-one connections to develop personal relationships and build community trust. ATSIM provides outreach, support, resources and understanding to local churches serving members of the indigenous Australian Community.

For more information contact ATSIM Coordinator for Greater Sydney, Pr Pr Richie Reid, at richardreid@ adventist.org.au, or visit https:// sydney.adventist.org.au/ministries/ atsim/. There you will find a number of resources to increase inclusivity in your church available on demand.

PHOTO: PR RICHARD REID

GSC'S SOUTHERN BORDER EXPANDS

On Sabbath, 21 January 2023, a special ceremony to welcome the Southern Illawarra Church from the South New South Wales Conference into the Greater Sydney Conference (GSC) was held at the Wollongong Adventist Church. Members of the Southern Illawarra Church were met by officers of the Greater Sydney and South NSW conferences, who attended along with the pastors of Wollongong and Southern Illawarra churches. Pr Cristian Copaceanu, President of South NSW Conference, presented a sermon about church mission before inviting Southern Illawarra Church members to the front of the sanctuary for a special introductory prayer. The day culminated in a combined lunch to celebrate the occasion.

The move is both practical and aspirational. “The southern boundary of the Greater Sydney Conference has moved south due to the growth of greater Illawarra District,” shares Cheonneth Strickland, Secretary of GSC. “The new

boundary of our conference is the northern most point of Minnamurra Beach, which is past Shellharbour.”

The Illawarra District will now have four churches, adding one more house of worship to GSC, helping it and world church attain the goal of seeing the kingdom of God grow.

“It made sense from the missional perspective to attach Southern Illawarra church with Wollongong church so that it would provide better opportunity in terms of pastoral staffing to create a hub in Wollongong area,” shares Alban Matohiti, GSC President. “The main reason [for the redistricting] is to have a better way of sharing the faith and embracing the mission of the church.”

The conference has also invested in land nearby, and this move may allow for that land to be used for missional purposes, possibly with the construction of a new church, school or aged care facility.

“This handover represents the beginning of a new era for our church,” says Alan Blake, senior elder of the Southern Illawarra Church. “We look forward to working with the Wollongong and Corrimal churches in a cohesive and collaborative way in the coming years now that church activities and evangelistic efforts can be inclusive of all the Illawarra area from Shellharbour in the south to Helensburgh in the north.”

For more on our Illawarra Churches visit www.illawarraadventist.org

PHOTO: PR TRAVIS MANNERS

01. MEET OUR NEW MANAGERS

In February we farewelled Bruce and Maxine Hill, one of the hardest working duos the Greater Sydney Conference has had in its history.

Dedicated and tenacious only begin to describe the couple who have put their all into our Crossland's Centre over the past decade. Our camp and convention facility is the retreat it is today because of them. Endless blessings to Bruce and Maxine as they begin the next phase of their lives.

Taking over the management role are Norman and Lynn Roberts. Lynn previously worked at Avondale University and Norm comes to us from Corporate land. Norm's fondness for Crosslands grew as he volunteered at the centre, helping Bruce around the property.

The couple are excited to join the team and purely serve, as well as bring a new perspective to our Crosslands campground.

sydney.adventist.org.au/library

Need a resource and can't find it? Contact us at GSCcomms@adventist.org.au and we will source the information and create it for you!

NEW CENTRE FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE OPENS IN BLACKTOWN

NEW CENTRE FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE OPENS IN BLACKTOWN

NEW CENTRE FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE OPENS IN BLACKTOWN

Children who have lost loved ones to homicide now have a place to go for support and healing in Blacktown (NSW). Grace’s Place, a world first trauma recovery centre named in honour of Grace Lynch the mother of Anita Cobby who was murdered in 1986, held its opening ceremony on 2 February, 2023. It will serve as a retreat and place of healing and restoration for young people coping with the aftermath of homicide.

Children who have lost loved ones to homicide now have a place to go for support and healing in Blacktown (NSW). Grace’s Place, a world first trauma recovery centre named in honour of Grace Lynch the mother of Anita Cobby who was murdered in 1986, held its opening ceremony on 2 February, 2023. It will serve as a retreat and place of healing and restoration for young people coping with the aftermath of homicide.

Children who have lost loved ones to homicide now have a place to go for support and healing in Blacktown (NSW). Grace’s Place, a world first trauma recovery centre named in honour of Grace Lynch the mother of Anita Cobby who was murdered in 1986, held its opening ceremony on 2 February, 2023. It will serve as a retreat and place of healing and restoration for young people coping with the aftermath of homicide.

NEW CENTRE FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE OPENS IN BLACKTOWN

Children who have lost loved ones to homicide now have a place to go for support and healing in Blacktown (NSW). Grace’s Place, a world first trauma recovery centre named in honour of Grace Lynch the mother of Anita Cobby who was murdered in 1986, held its opening ceremony on 2 February, 2023. It will serve as a retreat and place of healing and restoration for young people coping with the aftermath of homicide.

NEW CENTRE FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE OPENS IN BLACKTOWN

Executive and student leaders from Mountain View Adventist College helped celebrate the opening.

Executive and student leaders from Mountain View Adventist College helped celebrate the opening.

Executive and student leaders from Mountain View Adventist College helped celebrate the opening.

Children who have lost loved ones to homicide now have a place to go for support and healing in Blacktown (NSW). Grace’s Place, a world first trauma recovery centre named in honour of Grace Lynch the mother of Anita Cobby who was murdered in 1986, held its opening ceremony on 2 February, 2023. It will serve as a retreat and place of healing and restoration for young people coping with the aftermath of homicide.

Executive and student leaders from Mountain View Adventist College helped celebrate the opening.

Executive and student leaders from Mountain View Adventist College helped celebrate the opening.

Student leaders worked together with students from Knox Grammar School, performing items and assisting dignitaries and guests Mr Irwin Steyn, Principal at Mountain View Adventist College, said, “Whilst we are saddened that such a facility needs to exist, we have already started conversations with Grace’s Place to see how we can work together to the benefit of the children who need to visit this world first facility”. Grace’s Place has residential and counselling facilities and will serve as the head office of the Homicide Victims Support Group (Aust) Inc.

Student leaders worked together with students from Knox Grammar School, performing items and assisting dignitaries and guests Mr Irwin Steyn, Principal at Mountain View Adventist College, said, “Whilst we are saddened that such a facility needs to exist, we have already started conversations with Grace’s Place to see how we can work together to the benefit of the children who need to visit this world first facility”. Grace’s Place has residential and counselling facilities and will serve as the head office of the Homicide Victims Support Group (Aust) Inc.

Student leaders worked together with students from Knox Grammar School, performing items and assisting dignitaries and guests Mr Irwin Steyn, Principal at Mountain View Adventist College, said, “Whilst we are saddened that such a facility needs to exist, we have already started conversations with Grace’s Place to see how we can work together to the benefit of the children who need to visit this world first facility”. Grace’s Place has residential and counselling facilities and will serve as the head office of the Homicide Victims Support Group (Aust) Inc.

Student leaders worked together with students from Knox Grammar School, performing items and assisting dignitaries and guests Mr Irwin Steyn, Principal at Mountain View Adventist College, said, “Whilst we are saddened that such a facility needs to exist, we have already started conversations with Grace’s Place to see how we can work together to the benefit of the children who need to visit this world first facility”. Grace’s Place has residential and counselling facilities and will serve as

Student leaders worked together with students from Knox Grammar School, performing items and assisting dignitaries and guests Mr Irwin Steyn, Principal at Mountain View Adventist College, said, “Whilst we are saddened that such a facility needs to exist, we have already started conversations with Grace’s Place to see how we can work together to the benefit of the children who need to visit this world first facility”. Grace’s Place has residential and counselling facilities and will serve as the head office of the Homicide Victims Support Group (Aust) Inc.

From Hurt to Hope:

How Jim Kaponikolos Found Himself through Bible Study and Struggle

By Lauren Bongard Schwarz

In the space of one year, Jim Kaponikolos’ life had been turned completely upside down. But thanks to a connection with Pastor Eddy Johnson, former manager of the ADRA Community Care Centre at Blacktown and current honorary chaplain there, he found a new path full of hope and joy.

“I’d lost my health, job, wife, kids, house, and freedom”, he shares. “And that would have been enough—if I didn’t have someone like Eddy guiding me, pumping up my tires spiritually, and making sure I was ok—that I may not still be here today. But he helped me find enough power to thrive as a human being and walk out the other end a better person than I was walking in.”

When Jim and Pr Eddy first met, Jim was a married father struggling to communicate with his wife after making some big changes in his life. He’d worked in

the liquor industry for more than 20 years, but after choosing to give up his drinking and recreational drugs habits, cracks in his marriage started to appear. “We were looking for someone to help us recommunicate and reconnect”, he says. “I was very much in love with my wife and loved my two little girls. I wanted my family to succeed.”

The couple found Pr Eddy and started counselling. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t survive. Jim found himself on a downward spiral, struggling for the right to spend time with his children and restart his life. After an altercation with his former father-in-law about seeing his young daughters, Jim spent seven months in jail before being acquitted.

But rather than spiralling further, his time in jail gave him a new perspective. “I’d never been in trouble with

Jim with his daughters, Ria and Connie. Used with approval.

the law before, but fortunately God only gives us what we can handle”, he shares. “Pr Eddy was writing me letters constantly while I was in jail, and the letters he wrote changed my life around. He gave me verses in the Bible to read, especially Job, and I listened to what he and the Bible were telling me. I felt I was unjustly in there, but it was good for me. It straightened me out completely and humbled me.”

While in jail, Jim started attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings and decided to go back to school.

Now, he’s two years away from becoming a drug and alcohol counsellor. “I’ve been involved in the AA and NA fellowship for more than 10 years now because of my recovery”, Jim shares. “I always had an interest in helping others, but my life used to be about getting excited when a big deal came across. Now I get excited when I get a call from a mother saying that I’ve helped her son overcome addiction. That high is better than any drug I’ve ever had. I look at my mentor, Eddy, and I want to be like him. I want to touch people like he does. I want my life to be more about service than getting served.”

Although his path was tough, Jim is thankful for the experiences. “I found myself through the process”, he says, crediting his connection with Pr Eddy with helping him immensely. “We clicked straightaway”, he confirms.

“He could read me, the way I was feeling and what was going on and put the right words in the right place and knew when to call me when I needed it.”

Jim explains that often while he was dealing with issues in family court and feeling very down, he’d get phone calls from Pr Eddy offering support and advice. Pr Eddy also called and offered support to Jim’s parents and sister, giving them peace and comfort while they worried about Jim’s predicaments.

When he was released, the judge strongly recommended continuing counselling, so Jim and Pr Eddy kept meeting.

“[This is] ongoing sponsoring in the sense of having someone reliable to turn to”, Pr Eddy shares. “The benefit of being a sponsor is the joy of seeing concrete, positive change occurring over time.”

Now, with the end of his

“He could read me, the way I was feeling and what was going on and put the right words in the right place and knew when to call me when I needed it.”

struggles in sight, Jim has pledged to support Pr Eddy and his ministries in every possible way. “I’ve joined his Bible studies and groups, and I’ll do everything I can to help his organization”, Jim explains. “Anything they need, I’ll jump in and do it. It changed my life, and I want to help them change other people’s lives.”

One of the biggest areas of cooperation is the Saturday afternoon Bible study group that meets at Blacktown ADRA offices. Pr Eddy hosts the gathering, which begins with a Bible study and ends with a potluck supper and socialising. The group has become a second family to Jim and other participants, giving them a social circle that’s dedicated to learning more about God and each other.

“Before, I was an angry man”, Jim recalls. “I would hit challenges head on with an angry attitude. But now,

I hit them with the understanding that God gives you certain challenges so you can grow as a human being. If you embrace that and work through it, you can become a better person.”

Jim describes his struggles and life through an analogy that Pr Eddy taught him. “A Samurai sword is the strongest steel in the world. It cuts through everything”, he says. “But to get to that, the amount of beating and fire that this sword gets—heated super-hot, bashed flat, dipped in cold water, back into the fire, in and out—makes it a polished piece of steel that can destroy anything. That’s what happened to me. Life absolutely pounded me, but rather than break and become brutal, I had a really good blacksmith that knew [how] to craft me beautifully.”

Find out more about ADRA Sydney at https://sydney. adventist.org.au/ministries/adra/

THE BEST DAY

By Grace Copoceanu

Every Wednesday, Alvin visits the ADRA Blacktown Centre for his counselling session that helps him deal with a debilitating grief of over 20 years. It’s more than counselling for him. Apart from the Centre and his GP, Alvin has no one in his life who knows whether he is alive, well, unwell, if his hip has given in yet or that he just turned 72. He is completely alone; not a friend, not a neighbour, not a relative or companion out there. Some months back, one of our compassionate volunteers drove Alvin to pick up some of his heavier groceries and spare him walking home with the heavy bags. The pair made a little stop at the local coffee shop for a light break and chat. Since then, Alvin doesn’t miss the opportunity to thank this volunteer and the Centre for the best day he’s had in 20 years. Knowing his story, it's easy to see why that's all it took.

Being available to offer our help and care is our mission and dream at ADRA Blacktown. Your financial support helps us continue to go that extra mile as we strive for no child of God to feel alone. Please give today so we can keep ministering to Alvin and others like him.

30 DAYS OF PRAYER 2023

RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND

30 DAYS OF PRAYER 2023

Prayer is spiritual communication between us God. It is our direct line with heaven. We pray to talk to God, understand him, connect with him, and understand ourselves.

RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND

Praying in tandem with studying the Bible helps us navigate the various trials of life. 30 Days of Prayer then is an opportunity to strengthen one’s faith and grow closer to God.

Join us for this guided prayer exercise that dives into the hope of Christ’s imminent return.

Prayer is spiritual communication between us God. It is our direct line with heaven. We pray to talk to God, understand him, connect with him, and understand ourselves.

Praying in tandem with studying the Bible helps us navigate the various trials of life. 30 Days of Prayer then is an opportunity to strengthen one’s faith and grow closer to God.

http://bit.ly/3Xxo4uO | #SYDNEYADVENTISTS

Join us for this guided prayer exercise that dives into the hope of Christ’s imminent return.

http://bit.ly/3Xxo4uO | #SYDNEYADVENTISTS