September - October 2019 IntraSyd

MAGAZINE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE

intrasyd INTRASYD *

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019

Shaylee Walsh

REFLECTIONS ON imagine '19

+

Greater Sydney

Features: Adra appeal 2019 + Q&A with Teacher Josh Brown

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Terry Johnson PRESIDENT Terry Johnson terryjohnson@adventist.org.au

Editor Joyce Taylor joycetaylor@adventist.org.au

Graphic Designer Lynda G. Abreu lyndagomes@adventist.org.au

Other Contributors Tracey Bridcutt Katrina Jorgensen Sharna Kosmeier Daniel Kuberek Daniel Lavaiamat Beryl Landers Lauren Bongard-Schwarz Ashley Stanton Mary-Jon Tuaoi María José Díaz Villarroel Shaylee Walsh

Next content deadline 06 DEC bit.ly/intraSYD

Are you aware that Greater Sydney Adventists collected 25% of the 2018 national Knocktober ADRA appeal? It’s the largest share of all the Australian conferences and something to commend and celebrate.

While going door-to-door is not for everyone, those who do this ministry make some fantastic spiritual contacts and are ambassadors of good will for the church at large.

In our Conference, one of the strategic foci is “Community engagement” and ADRA is one of the avenues to connect with our Neighbours.

The money we collect during Knocktober helps support and sustain ministry right here in Sydney at our ADRA Blacktown and Macquarie Fields centres of Influence! Let me tell you a story from our ADRA Blacktown centre about “Dean” (not his real name).

When Pr Eddy Johnson and Grace Copaceanu first met Dean, his family circumstances were tragic. His brother was a drug dealer, his sister had died of an overdose, and Dean suffered from terrible anxiety and low self esteem. High school was a difficult trial as he was bullied and with his anxiety, classes were tough. But he stuck to it and graduated. Dean wanted to continue his studies at University, but his stress and anxiety were becoming debilitating, and so he came to ADRA Blacktown for help with managing those areas of his life.

During his first counseling sessions Dean would sweat profusely as a result of his anxiety. The centre helped him with his entrance to university paperwork and encouraged him continually.

He went to University where he graduated with a business degree and was assessed to be in the genius level of intelligence. He was pursued by big companies and prior to finishing his degree, was offered a $100,000 a year job with the largest insurance company in Australia.

Photo by Daniel Kuberek, Adventist Record

Dean worked for the insurance company and then applied for a job at Google. There were 500 applicants for the position, but he got the job! Two years ago, Dean came back to ADRA Blacktown to reconnect and reminisce and he asked a simple question, “What makes ADRA different?” He continued, “I’ve been around and I’ve checked other non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), and there is something different about ADRA.”​ Grace shared with him that the difference was the spiritual aspect of our wholistic values and work. He asked for a Bible and started attending a local Adventist Church where he continues to worship to this day.

Matthew 4:23-25 says that Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. "24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan."

When you raise money for ADRA or donate, you allow ministries like theirs to thrive. You allow the stories like Dean’s to become a reality.

Jesus said that He came to give life and to give it abundantly. As Seventh-day Adventists we have a wholistic abundant life to share with our communities. Let’s endeavour to find as many ways to engage as possible. Maybe ADRA’s Knocktober appeal is a good way for you to start in your neighbourhood.

Terry Johnson

OCTOBER 2019

@ SydneyAdventists

COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

1

ISSUE FEATURE

UPCOMING EVENTS

DIDN’T INVOLV AP

ADDRESS Shannon Bldg,185 Fox Valley Rd Wahroonga NSW 2076 PHONE +61 (02) 9868 6522 EMAIL sydney@adventist.org.au

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eGiving.org.au

12-10 / Local Church Budget 19-10 / Education: MVAC 26-10 / Local Church Budget 02-11 / Local Church Budget 09-11 / World Mission Budget Read more at bit.ly/2nL4CtY

Identity Branding

Can new signage really bring people off the street into a Seventh-day Adventist church? Yes . . . it already has. Learn more about the churches' global identity effort and how it's impacting local churches right here in Australia. Page 23 ARTICLE

It'

Save the Date

01-31 OCT / ADRA Appeal 01-31 OCT / Pastor Appreciation 12 OCT / Pastor Appreciation Day 21 DEC / Fund for the Needy 23 DEC-01 JAN / GSC Closed 10-26 JAN / Summer Camp 2020 Get the 2019 cal at bit.ly/GSC2019cal NEWS

Making a Difference

With Assistant Principal of Macquarie College, Josh Brown: "Sometimes, it’s just that small first step that sets you off on an amazing journey."

Page 15

ARTICLE

2019 Calendar Features

Meet the September-December features! Want to be in the 2021 calendar or create art for it? Have someone to nominate? Write to us at sydney@adventist.org.au. Page 06

NEWS

Shaylee Walsh on Imagine

We were implored to clothe ourselves in kindness, patience, humility, gentleness and compassion while removing layers of fear, self-doubt and unworthiness. Page 18

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Wahroonga School News

A look at Wahroonga Adventist High School student's production of "Cinderella", and a recap on the opening of the its new junior school building.

Page 17

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v isit a

EDITORIALS General Secretary

Adrian Raethel FROM THE CHURCH BOARD LTD

• Significant time and resources are being invested into the implementation of the Conference strategic focus areas, which are: -

Raising the Spiritual Temperature Member Empowerment Community Engagement Growing Together Media/Digital Engagement

Departmental planning for 2020 will be in alignment with these focus areas.

• Approval has been given for Edison Akrawi from the Wahroonga Church to lead a new initiative ministering to Arabic speaking members of the community, including the development of written and digital resources.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• A report was presented from the Australian Union Conference attendance survey conducted in February

of this year. A summary shows that approximately 6,500 of the 9,653 members attended church on that Sabbath with approximately 4,000 in Sabbath School, of which 54.5% are female and 45.5% are male. Of that, 50.5% aged 25-34 return a regular tithe compared to 76% in the 65-74 age bracket; • A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Conference and the South Pacific Division relating to the purchase of an additional parcel of land for the Wahroonga Adventist School on the Wahroonga estate resulting in additional green and outdoor play space for the students; • The Waitara Church has received a grant towards the cost of major renovations to their toilet and bathroom facilities.

KNOCKTOBER ADRA APPEAL

The major fundraising campaign for ADRA is October long. If doorknocking is not your thing, consider other opportunities to raise funds in your local church such as a xx-ATHON fundraiser, a physical challenge, talent night etc. ADRA projects support dozens of disadvantaged people in our communities every day.

CFO

Eva Ing Time seems to fly here at the Conference Office. It seems that before you know it, the end of 2019 is just around the corner. My report in this IntraSyd edition will focus on a number of things I’ve been working on.

2020 Offerings Calendar. The calendar is just about finalised.

We have been steadily increasing the number of local church offerings (LCOs) in the past few years. In 2018 there were 26 LCOs. In 2019 we had 27. Next year will be 28 LCOs. The Education Offerings in 2020 will drop from 9 to 8 for reasons that are twofold. Firstly, to resource the local church as this is where outreach happens. Secondly, God has blessed our schools. While they can always use more funds, the need is not as great as before. We will continue with Scholarship Offerings next year, because we want to bless as many families as possible.

AdventistBookCentre.com.au. For those of you

who haven’t visited our Adventist Book Centre (ABC) website, I urge you to! We revamped our website a couple of years ago with the great work of Scott Wegener and support from the ABC team.

We did this in partnership with North New South Wales Conference and the Victoria Conference who joined not long after.

Due to the success of this, we are about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the remaining conferences with an ABC store (Northern Australia, Western Australia and South Queensland) to be part of one website. Rather than each conference running their own website, ALL of us will use the same eCommerce platform, share costs and pool all our resources in delivering our books and resources to members and friends across Australia. As a result, we’re expecting sales from our website to double from $50,000 last year to $100,000 this year!

Cambridge Street, Epping Development. While there has been some additional sales of apartments these past few months and the market is showing early signs of recovery, things are still relatively slow. In recent media stories, there has been some concern over the quality of high rise residential buildings. To this end, the Executive committee has been invited to visit another one of our Developer’s buildings, finalising construction, and meet with their building team. We remain fully confident of the quality and reputation of the Developer Southern Han, as we wait patiently for our project to commence.

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OCTOBER

2019

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2019 CALENDAR FEATURES Illustrations by María José Díaz Villarroel

The Go Family: (L-R) Zac, Jessica, Nic & Ben Epping Church September | Family Ministries "I'm inspired by the wonders of Creation, the beauty of nature and the fellowship I share with my family. It helps us resonate with Psalms 46:10: 'Be still and know that I am God...'. As a family, our two favourite things to do together are hiking and mountain biking." Ben

Tori Ackland & Vera Su ADRA Ambassadors October | ADRA Awareness "It is the urge to serve God and His people that drew to me ADRA. As with many other young Christians, if baptism is the highest point of my spiritual life, then I can see it going downhill easily after the excitement wore off or if I had no support from others. However, the experience with ADRA brought me back up and kept me stable, which means more than anything to me." Vera

Henry Dunn The Way Redfern November | ATSIM Ministries "I like being with the youth and community. Just catching up with people. It's through these interactions that I hope to have Bible studies with people and lead them to a live with Christ."

Ken Collie Ashfield Church December | Reconnecting Ken Collie (right) left home and church and 18 and spent the next 28 years living as he pleased. In May 2017 he began watching Hope Sabbath School and recommitted his life to Christ months later.

FIND A LOCAL CHURCH

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OCTOBER

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LOCAL NEWS

M

embers First, Last & Only. ACA Health Benefits Fund exists solely to benefit the health and well-being of Seventh-Day Adventist Church Employees, Local Church Officers and their families.

ACA Health is a restricted private health insurer. The Fund solely exists to benefit the health and well-being of its exclusive members.

Visit acahealth.com.au.

Have Have anything anything exciting exciting or or exextraordinary traordinary to to share? share? Email Email us us at at sydney@adventist.org.au. sydney@adventist.org.au.

01. CAMBODIA PRAYER MEETING

BY FORREST MCKERCHAR, SUBMITTED BY BEN TURNER Have you been involved in a prayer meeting that left you feeling like the only good it’s done you was in ticking the, “I’ve been to prayer meeting this week” box? That was my experience in our prayer group. We would sing and discuss prayer requests before splitting into pairs to pray. We stuck it out for a few months, but felt there was a lot missing.

After experimenting for a few weeks with the way we met and prayed,

we settled on a format that works well – we now sing a few songs, share thoughts from our personal time with God, and spend about half an hour praying together as a group. To encourage participation and keep focused, prayers are kept short and concise.

The prayer session comprises four parts: praise, confession, requests and thanksgiving. Often times we use scripture as we pray (various psalms or claiming promises, for example). To begin the confession segment we pray silently for 1 minute to confess personally to God before confessing together. To end, we thank God in advance for answering specific prayers,

PHOTOGRAPHY

CAPTIONS/CREDITS 01 Get more involved with prayer: bit.ly/2k0Vohi.

02 The new Kellyville Seventh-day Adventist Church

claiming promises from His word.

00

01

Him, to focus on Him. He is our all in

The Official Opening event for the bran

all, our strength and shield, our Father

new church building will be held 09

In contrast with how we were praying

and friend, our redeemer and King, our

November 2019. this will be the fourth Kel-

before, there is now: a greater focus on

counselor and life-giver. Are you going

lyville Church opening celebration of the

praising God, a greater appreciation of

to take God with you and remain in

church. All friends, members, former mem-

our need of God, a greater dependence

prayer with Him today?

bers and pastors are invited to celebrate.

thanking God. We have been praying a lot

- Forrest McKerchar writes from Wat

Refreshments and church tours from

for the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit to

Preah Yesu, SIem Reap, Cambodia.

10:00am; Worship Service 11:00am;

on God’s word and a greater focus on

convict us of our sin and allow us to understand our need for Christ’s righteousness.

It has been such a blessing to know God more – prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us! We are ever learning to distrust ourselves and to trust

02. KELLYVILLE'S NEW CHURCH OPENS: YOU'RE INVITED!

BY KEN LONG After years of praying, planning and building, construction of the new Kellyville Church is now complete!

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Lunch 1:00pm; Official Opening 3:00pm.

Address: 4 Gum Nut Close, Kellyville For further information contact: Dulce Ferguson at opening@kellyville.church, or on 0403 821 382. See also our website at www.kellyville.church.

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Cashew, date & raspberry smoothie bowl

Serves 6

Prep 5

Cook 30mins

INGREDIENTS 1 CUP SO GOOD UNSWEETENED CASHEW MILK 1/2 CUP FROZEN RASPBERRIES 1 SMALL BANANA (OR 1/3 CUP SILKEN TOFU) 1–2 DATES, TO TASTE A FEW RASPBERRIES 2 TBS GRANOLA 1 TBS CHOPPED CASHEWS 1 TBS MIXED SEEDS METHODS Place cashew milk, berries, banana or tofu, and dates into a blender jug and puree until smooth.

Pour smoothie into your favourite bowl, top with granola, cashews, seeds and a few extra berries.

Serve immediately.

SDA Singles

Cheonneth Strickland cheonnethstrickland@adventist.org.au

Events: http://bit.ly/2ljPA2s Singles ministry exists to provide encouragement, support and nurture for singles adults within our church and the wider community. We organise activities where singles adults can meet, associate and worship together in an atmosphere that affirms and recognizes Christian values. We also aim to promote social and emotional growth, deeper spiritual connections and acceptance and healing for those experiencing loneliness or loss.

“Coming to Sydney three years ago and only knowing my sister and a childhood friend - I realised I needed to make new friends. I remember walking into a roomful of people at Epping Church. I didn’t know any of them, but after the worship program followed a lovely meal and games that enabled all present to meet and greet and the opportunity to get to know each other. The rest is history. I’ve since made some lovely friends and am enjoying meeting new people and making friends, not only in NSW, but interstate as well.” S. “Just over 4 years ago I was encouraged to attend my first ever Singles Event by a friend. Over the next 18 months I attended weekend retreats and several other events with the Greater Sydney Singles group. While speaking with a friend who had over the years been involved in Singles Ministry with Sydney I had the realisation that this was what we needed too in SNSW Conference and that I could be part of providing similar opportunities for others singles looking to gather.” C. “Singles Ministry has been a means of finding many new friends who share a similar journey. Being involved in this ministry has also been a significant contributing factor in my growth and healing since becoming single.” H.

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ADRA AUSTRALIA All around Australia, in October, hundreds of volunteers will door-knock, hold public place collections and run events to raise funds for the annual appeal for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia.

ADRA Appeal funds will continue to help Australians, like Tyson, who face hardship.

Depressed and abusing drugs and alcohol, Tyson felt hopeless. But, refusing to accept his circumstances, he was introduced to ADRA through Centrelink’s Work for the Dole Program. It was exactly the safe and loving environment Tyson needed to turn his life around. And now, he’s helping other struggling Australians through services ADRA provides.

“If we can do something to help a fellow Aussie who is struggling, we help make our communities brighter places,” says ADRA CEO Paul Rubessa. “This is exactly what our volunteers are doing. By raising money and awareness for people experiencing hardship, they are making a big difference,” Mr Rubessa says.

The ADRA Appeal is conducted entirely by unpaid volunteers, not paid collectors, to ensure fundraising costs are kept to a minimum and more money goes to help those in need. “We’re so grateful to our volunteers. They enable donations to have the greatest impact possible,” says Mr Rubessa.

This year, ADRA volunteers will raise money for the Appeal in different ways such as door-knocking and public place collections, and by hosting concerts, food events or a garage sale.

“If an ADRA Appeal volunteer knocks on your door, or if you are invited to an ADRA Appeal fundraising event, please donate generously,” says Mr Rubessa. “Your donations help thousands of Australians overcome hardship.”

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is the official humanitarian agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

ADRA Australia works as part of the global ADRA network. Through this network, our reach extends into more than 140 countries. We work with communities in Australia and overseas to help them to lift themselves out of poverty, creating a brighter future.

DIDN’T MANAGE DIDN’T MANAGE TO TO GETGET INVOLVED ADRA INVOLVED IN IN THETHE ADRA APPEAL THIS YEAR? APPEAL THIS YEAR?

latelat!e !

I tI'st 'snotnottootoo YOUYOU CANCAN STILL DONATE STILL DONATE AND SUPPORT LOCAL ADRA AND SUPPORT LOCAL ADRA PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA. IN AUSTRALIA. PROJECTS

i t adra.org.au v i svi its adra.org.au

You do a lot, and the work you do makes a difference. Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do. We appreciate you.

Blessings upon blessings to you and your family.

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October

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EDUCATION

apply to study TEACHING It only takes one teacher... to shape and grow future generations.

Teaching is more than a job.

It’s a ministry.

A ministry to encourage young people to reach their potential.

A ministry to prepare our future leaders.

A ministry to influence the young lives we connect with.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES | Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Birth – 12 Years) | Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) | Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) | Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Science POSTGRADUATE DEGREES | Master of Education | Master of Teaching (Primary) | Master of Teaching (Secondary) | Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) | Master of Philosophy Get your qualification in a nurturing environment at Avondale.

To find out more about our face-to-face and distance education courses or to apply online, visit avondale.edu.au phone +61 2 4980 2377 or email study@avondale.edu.au Avondale College Ltd trading as Avondale College of Higher Education CRICOS Provider No: 02731D | TEQSA: PRV12015 | ABN: 53 108 186 401

Q & A with Josh Brown

I

ntroducing Josh Brown, Assistant Principal, Macquarie College.

What or who inspired you to be a teacher and why?

For me, teaching is about helping others follow their curiosity.

I think that I have always found life so intensely interesting, that I just want to share that learning journey with others. At its heart, I also believe that education is about people, about enhancing the lives of others and that provides my work with a sense of meaning that elevates it from occupation to vocation.

Which teacher made the biggest positive impact on you at school?

Mr Lewis. He lived an adventurous life and shared his stories with us and he was vulnerable enough to let us see him as a person.

The other big factor was time.

He spent his lunchtimes playing sport with the students and he never let the curriculum get in the way of learning.

Describe a typical day for you at school now.

One day I might be watching Year 9 students perform a drama they have written themselves, the next I might be helping drive the bus on a Geography excursion to the beach. Then I’ll be racing back to a meeting or after school appointment. One moment you can be having an intellectually rigorous debate with a Year 12 student and the next you can be sorting out a fight because a Year 7 student sat in someone else’s spot. I have done a lot of outdoor ed in my time as a teacher and whenever I’m hiking through Kosciuszko National Park with a group of students or sitting on a big granite boulder up on the tablelands during a poetry camp, I smile and think, “This is a pretty nice office.”

How did you know that teaching was the right career path for you?

I didn’t. I got a scholarship to study education and was interested enough to make a start. Sometimes, it’s just that small first step that sets

you off on an amazing journey.

It wasn’t until my final prac that I actually felt like “This is fun”, “I can see myself doing this longterm.” I worked three or four jobs all through uni and hardly had a chance to come up for breath, to consider how I really felt about the degree. That’s why I encourage people to finish and try it out for a year before deciding it’s not for them. I had an amazing mentor in my first few years of teaching and she gave me guidance, responsibility when I was ready, and confidence that you can still be a master of your craft right until the end of your career. I owe a lot to her as a colleague and friend. The learning continues long after you walk across the stage and hold your testamur in your hand.

“Sometimes, it’s just that small first step that sets you off on an amazing journey.”

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a career as a teacher?

I think your primary interest needs to be in the wellbeing of young people. If you are student-centred, the rest seems

to fall into place. However, if you have an unwavering passion for trade surpluses, poetry or quadratics, perhaps you should become an economist, writer or mathematician. The sweet spot is when you have both; high intellectual capacity in your area and genuine interest in enhancing the lives of young people. I also think that we need a variety or teachers, people with fascinating stories to tell and quirky interests to pass on. Students don’t see a subject on their timetable, they see your name.

Describe your most recent “This is what makes it worth it” moment.

I was running an Invictus lesson with the whole of Year 9 and we were playing a game called Circle Sit. There were a group of four boys who had figured out the formation and one of their mates jumped on top and they all descended to the floor and into laughter. In that moment I got to facilitate fun and to create shared experiential learning. I also have a student at the moment who has had a really disadvantaged upbringing. She has bonded with a colleague and I can see her blossoming because of the kindness that has come into her life. I also had a mentor student plan a surprise lunch for me recently. When you see bumbling Year 7 students become self-actualised young adults it’s pretty rewarding. Ok that was three moments, I’ll stop now.

You’re currently doing your PhD at Avondale. Can you briefly explain what it’s on?

In 2014, with the help of my supervisor, I designed and wrote the Invictus Wellbeing Program.

Invictus is a long-term multimodal wellbeing experience that combines positive psychology curriculum with memory events and integrated outdoor ed experiences. In many ways it’s designed to be a rite of passage that helps students become the best version of themselves and to pick up the Social Emotional Learning skills that will enable

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them to live a great life. It’s also a flexible superstructure that schools can implement in various ways, all with the aim of creating more space and time for adults to mentor young people and have meaningful conversations. My doctoral work is focused on better understanding the factors influencing student wellbeing within this framework.

What motivates you to keep pursuing your own education, whilst being a teacher?

When I finished my undergraduate degree, I never thought I would keep studying. You breathe a deep sigh of relief that’s it’s all over and look forward to jumping into your new career. Yet, after a few years of work I got the hunger back and enrolled in a master’s degree at Deakin, which I enjoyed immensely and it also made me a more empathetic teacher, handing in assignments as well as handing them out!

However, my PhD has been a more natural extension of my work life.

The amount of literature I have had to read in order to put together the Invictus Wellbeing Program and the number of students now enrolled, just made for a perfect research opportunity. Avondale has been really supportive of my research intentions and as they say; if you treasure it, measure it!

If you are called to be a teacher and make a difference, contact Avondale now 02 4980 2377 study@avondale.edu.au

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EDUCATION

SASA Staff bolster spiritual lives

By Mary-Jon Tuaoi

the centre of IMPACT, and the evidence points towards the Bible.

For more information, contact Pr Fabian via email at fabian.edian@auburn.adventist.edu.au.

THE STAFF AT SYDNEY ADVENTIST SCHOOL AUBURN (SASA) ARE INTENT ON MAKING AN IMPACT, NOT JUST WITH STUDENTS, BUT ALSO IN THEIR OWN SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS.

IMPACT is now being facilitated by the school chaplain, Pr Fabian Edian, and it provides an opportunity for staff to discover faith and life. As part of the initiative, staff are encouraged to write questions for discussion each Thursday from 3:30 – 4 pm. This is a time when staff can be open and mindful of others’ opinions and seek answers that will strengthen their spiritual journey. Jesus is at

What does your child get with an Adventist education? ✓Character ✓Christian ✓A well-rounded ™

building

values

education

Invest in your child's future. Sign up today. sydney.adventist.org.au/ministries/education

Sydney Adventist Schools ™

Nurture for today. Learning for tomorrow. Character for eternity.

Serving: Auburn – Castle Hill – Doonside – Hurstville – Kellyville – Macarthur – Wahroonga

Wahroonga school News Here's the latest

By Daniel Lavaiamat

Wahroonga Adventist High School students in years 7 to 10 presented a show during the midst of winter. The musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”, ran for five nights and was well received by audiences. Approximately 35 students and staff worked hard to put organise the program.

"A broad education in the arts helps give children a better understanding of their world…We need students who are culturally literate as well as math and science literate."

– Paul Ostergard, Vice President, Citicorp JUNIOR BUILDING OFFICIALLY OPENS

BY DANIEL KUBEREK, ADVENTIST RECORD Students, teachers and parents gathered at Wahroonga Adventist School (NSW) on Friday, September 13, to witness the opening of the junior school building.

A plaque to commemorate the occasion was unveiled by State Member for Ku-ring-gai Alister Henskens and Greater Sydney Conference president Pastor Terry Johnson.

Pastor Johnson delivered the main address, whilst the junior school prefects and school captains reflected on the impact of the school on students and the community.

The whole school combined for three items, including the Australian national anthem, and worships songs “We Lift Our Voices” and “Shine Jesus Shine”.

School board member Edison Akrawi offered a closing prayer, thanking God for his leading in the school’s history.

State Member for Ku-ring-gai Alister Henskens and Greater Sydney Conference president Pastor Terry Johnson. Article and photo reprinted with permission.

Choosing the right school for your child can set them on a path to a bright future, both personally as well as professionally. Sydney Adventist schools provide your child with an excellent all-round education.

LEARN MORE at bit.ly/SydSDASchools.

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OCTOBER OCTOBER

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WAYMAKER WAYMAKER REFRAMING REFRAMING REFRAMING church | culture| community | community || service service | outreach church | culture outreach church | culture | community | service | outreach

VIDEO VIDEOON ON DEMAND DEMAND VIDEO ON DEMAND

Subscribe Subscribe Today Today Subscribe Today WAYMAKER.TV WAYMAKER.TV WAYMAKER.TV

Faith Faith& &Science Science

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Faith & Science

SEMINAR 2 Geology Radiometric Dating Paleontology Fossils Dinosaurs Ice Cores Biogeography

WITHIN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

University Students University Students

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WHO IS INVITED Science Teachers Senior Bible Teachers Pastors School Chaplains Scientists University Students

2 SEMINARSEMINAR 2

Pastors Ice Cores faith-science-conference faith-science-conference FOR INFORMATION GO TO: School Chaplains Biogeography education.adventistchurch.com/ faith-science-conference education.adventistchurch.com/ education.adventistchurch.com/ ScientistsGO TO: FOR INFORMATION education.adventistchurch.com/ faith-science-conference FOR INFORMATION TO: UniversityGO Students

FOR INFORMATION GO TO:

2021

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2021 FOR INFORMATION GO TO: education.adventistchurch.com/ faith-science-conference

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SEMINAR 2 Geology Radiometric Dating WHO IS INVITED Paleontology SEMINAR 2 Science Teachers Fossils GeologyDinosaurs Senior Bible Teachers Radiometric Dating Pastors Ice Cores WHOSchool IS INVITED Paleontology Chaplains Biogeography Scientists Science Teachers Fossils University Students Senior Bible Teachers Dinosaurs

EXPLORING ORIGINS WITHIN CONTEMPORARY CULTUREORIGINS EXPLORING

Reflections on Imagine: a God inspired experience.

What A Day!

By Shaylee Walsh

wasn’t stressed because throughout the planning pro-

cess, God had already provided answers to the issues that arose. Sure enough, the next day two new girls showed up to help that weren’t scheduled to and slotted in perfectly!

Imagine is coordinated and executed by a team of young women under the banner of the Adventist women’s advisory. The team consisted of Emma Villalobos, Leela Landers, Heather Muvindi, Melanie Wright-Hill and myself. It

was such a humbling experience to be a part of and coor-

dinate Imagine. From planning to execution, God was with us each step of the way.

To our prayer team, food team, volunteers and all our oth-

er supporters! We thank all of you! We are so excited to see where this new journey takes us, and can only ‘Imagine’ what God has in store for us!

Imagine is a program run by Sydney Adventist Women

for girls aged 13-18. The theme this year was “Chosen” based on Colossians 3:12 and we were implored, in a call-

to-action beautifully presented by closing speaker Hope Chomczynski, to clothe ourselves in kindness, patience,

humility, gentleness and compassion while removing layers of fear, self-doubt and unworthiness. We were also

stressed the value of self-care in “Rest. Eat. Drink. Repeat” and the importance of this life motto and how God pro-

vides us with everything we need to clothe ourselves daily

by Renee Voavasa.

The day itself consisted of 5 workshops, opening and clos-

ing sessions and plenty of activities to keep participants engaged and excited! The workshops included: Mental Wellness (by Ronalda Hoffman), Physical Wellness (by Ken(by Marcus Pereira) and Relationships (by Melissa Bartido).

Participants were also provided a tote bag, a booklet with excerpts from the day and a puzzle containing the theme verse on it they framed and decorated themselves.

God’s leading in this event was everywhere. Ninety girls

turned up and they gave some incredible feedback. Even the gracious owners of the White House in Glenoire com-

mented on the positive atmosphere and smooth program.

The night before the event I received a phone call informing me that two volunteers were pulling out. Somehow I

Above Image: Photography by: Hope Chomczynski Photograph of: Shaylee Walsh

dra Samuels), Empowerment (by Jess Shipton), Self Worth

Breathe

Breathe 2019: CHOSEN By beryl landers

The Breathe Women’s Conference is such a special time for Sydney Adventist Women. It’s true that we may not always feel it during preparations in the run up to the conference, but we never fail to recognise the ways in which God has blessed it when all is said and done. These are some of the things that stuck out to us this year.

Raising Our Spiritual Temperature: BREATHE 2019 was not just another gathering of the girls. Women were moved, inspired and challenged by the Word of God that was shared by our very own local women speakers.

There were constant opportunities for connection with God and each other through the many meaningful prayer sessions, devotionals and anointing services in the Prayer Room in addition to the incredible days of powerful worship, stirring sermons and testimonies and workshops.

Imagine

Reclaiming Members: Disillusioned by church life and various individuals, Sheila* left Church a number of years ago but never let go her faith in God. Invited by a friend to attend BREATHE Conference, she cautiously accepted.

Her experience was positive and impactful. The friendly atmosphere, meaningful activities and engagements pleasantly surprised her. She eagerly accepted an invitation at end of the Conference to attend the very next week to enjoy worship and fellowship again. (*Name has been changed.)

Baptisms: The highlight of BREATHE CONFERENCE was the baptisms of 4 beautiful women making their public declaration to follow Jesus with more than 500 people cheering them on. One candidate came into our lives through the HOPE STAYZ program. The baptism was followed by an inspiring celebration worship service where many responded to the call for recommitment.

Impacting the Community: One of the core values of Adventist Women’s Ministries is to be involved in and support community projects. We believe that when God’s girls gather, we can make a difference. BREATHE Conference provides the platform to present projects and mobilize our women.

This year women responded with great compassion to the appeal by giving $21,000 to help rescue girls from trafficking in Nepal.

FOLLOW US: @IMAGINESAW

Imagine is now on Facebook and Instagram and we regularly upload encouraging faith-based and inspirational quotes.

The team is so passionate about reaching girls at this age and being able to support and guide them. #sydneyadventists

Evangelistic Opportunity: It is encouraging to see how comfortable our women are to inviting their non-church friends to BREATHE Conference.

About 9% of attendees were from other Christian faiths and one Muslim woman attended with her three children. Our Little Breathers program, our kids program run by a dedicated Little Breather’s team, provides a beautiful safe environment for our children to learn about Jesus and is unexpectedly boosting evangelistic efforts.

We can't wait for BREATHE 2020 where we will be “More than Conquerors” with Chaplain Adrienne Townsend. Friday, July 31 to Sunday, 2 August 2020 at the TOPS Conference Centre. SAW online at bit.ly/2mkjMep.

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Building identity Can new signage really bring people off the street into a Seventh-day Adventist church? Yes . . . it already has.

By Tracey Bridcutt, Adventist Record How much do you know about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? This question was part of a small online survey conducted recently by a colleague. The top response?

Nothing. Only 5 per cent of those surveyed claimed to know “a lot” about the Church.

The survey participants were also asked which church organisations they had heard of. Six churches were listed.

Mormons and Anglicans had the most awareness, followed by the Baptists, Jehovah Witnesses, Presbyterians and finally, you guessed it, Seventh-day Adventists.

Historically, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has struggled to build a profile in the community—particularly in countries like Australia and New Zealand—despite the amazing work we do in areas like health and education. It seems that people either haven’t heard of us or they confuse us with other denominations.

So what are we doing about it? One of the things we’ve realised is that while we are all aligned in our mission to share the gospel, our Church’s identity has been somewhat fragmented. With the myriad of logos, colours and designs adopted by our churches, ministries and entities, it has been difficult for people to know we all stand together.

To address this issue, the General Conference developed the Adventist Identity Guideline System, which is aimed at showing we all belong to the same organisation. It allowed for the divisions of the world Church to make adjustments that take into account the needs and diversity of their communities. Thus the South Pacific Division (SPD) developed its branding with the goal of providing a more unified visual strategy for our local churches, schools, conferences, aged care facilities and entities.

Many of you would have already seen the eye-catching orange and black signs that have been installed by dozens of our local churches around the South Pacific. The colours and fonts were chosen to create a distinctive and positive impression with passers-by.

But does the new signage really have an impact? Most definitely! Just ask Andrew Skeggs, pastor of Livingston church in Western Australia. Since they installed one of the large pylon signs last year, they’ve had around 25 people walk through the church’s front door to attend programs advertised on the sign’s LED display.

“It has been really interesting. People have turned up at our toddler playtime, seniors’ craft group and even spiritual programs as a result of seeing our sign,” Pastor Skeggs said.

“It’s so much more visible than the old sign. The orange stands out and the LED display captures people’s attention. It’s been a real winner.”

Along with the signage, there are opportunities to adopt the branding on local church websites, bulletins, stationery and other materials. We have developed a range of resources—including a logo maker, and bulletin and flyer templates—to assist local churches. The resources are available at identity.adventistchurch.com.

SPD president Pastor Glenn Townend is encouraging everyone to continue supporting the initiative.

“Consistent and widespread use of the identity guidelines in all locations, communication and branding materials will help ensure we are easily remembered and recognised by the public,” he said.

“It’s our belief that participation in the identity project is an effective and compelling way to raise awareness of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Let’s work together to create a strong, clear identity that reflects the amazing work God is doing through our Church in the South Pacific.”

Find out more at identity.adventistchurch.com. For assistance and inquiries, email communications_SPD@adventist.org.au.

Article reprinted with permission.

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DUNAMIS

Y O U N G A D U LT C A M P | N O V 2 9 - D E C 0 1

SPEAKERS: DR BRANIMIR & DR DANIJELA SCHUBERT VENUE: THE TOPS CONFERENCE CENTRE. PRICE: $130 PER PERSON -FIRST 30 STUDENTS TO REGISTER WILL RECIEVE A DISCOUNTED PRICE OF $100.

GET WISDOM. PROVERBS 4:5-6

REGISTER AT: SYDNEYADVENTISTYOUTH.COM/EVENTS