March - April 2015 Intrasyd

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People, Places & Events in Greater Sydney MARCH - APRIL 2015

Experiencing Loving Relationships Inspirational Story of 72 Years of Marriage and Incredible Service to the Church

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Last Sabbath afternoon, I had the privilege of par ticipating in a celebration of generosity and service at Mount Druitt Church.

Why celebrate generosity and service? Because this is how God wants us to live, and in fact this is the lifestyle we will have in heaven. We know this, because this is how Jesus lived while He was here on ear th.

Ellen G. White says in Counsels on Stewardship, “The cross of Christ appeals to the benevolence of every follower of the blessed Saviour. The principle there illustrated is to give. This, carried out in actual benevolence and good works, is the true fruit of the Christian life”. And in Proverbs 3:9 it says, “Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over”.

During the program, we heard many stories from

Fellowship and community are such important aspects of church life.

When God created Adam and Eve, firstly, He placed them in a garden (a natural setting), and secondly, He put them in relationship with Himself and with each other. One of God’s great blessings is the capacity we have to love and be loved. For most, our biological family is precious and so is being part of God’s family. We have the privilege but also the responsibility to be a “loving and lovable” family member.

Highlights from Church Ltd Board • A number of delegates from Greater Sydney attended the following Division-wide conferences held at Avondale College in January: 1. The Church Planting Conference 2. The Bible Conference (discussing current, relevant

Biblical and theological issues) 3. The CHIP Facilitator’s Conference

4. The Depression Recovery Facilitator’s Conference • Representatives from all of the Departmental advisories

eva ing, chief financial officer

members of Mount Druitt and Cabramatta Churches and from the Filoship group on how members both individually and as a church shared generously of their time and money to serve both here in Sydney and overseas. One Mount Druitt member shared that he will be going to Borneo this year, which will be his 20th Fly ‘n’ Build. Another shared a story of her gift of time and attention to a fellow workmate who admitted that she was considering suicide. Her workmate was grateful for the listening ear freely given.

The purpose of the program was to learn from these stories and then think, ‘How can I as an individual and a church community incorporate some of these ideas to enrich my life? Am I living a life that serves others generously in a way that honours God’? If you are and have a service ministry that does this, I encourage you to share your story and learn from others so that we may live rich and fulfilling lives in this world in preparation for the next.

adrian raethel, general secretary •

met together on 21 February for an afternoon of visioning and planning within the context of the Conference strategic plan.

4 churches, namely Ryde, Dundas Croatian, Wetherill Park Spanish and Mt Colah, have received DA approval for new signage as part of the Australia-wide signage and branding project.

Highlights from the Executive Committee • The New Hope Church plant that meets at the University of Western Sydney (Nirimba campus, Quakers Hill) launched regular worship services on Sabbath 28 February • The Conference membership as of 31 December 2014 was 9,296, up from 9,133 at the beginning of the year. There were 224 baptisms and professions of faith during 2014 • The plans, budget and timeline for the re-development of the Kellyville Church have been approved. The DA will be lodged in April and work will commence on the Gum Nut Close Kellyville site around September or October • The Filoship (Filipino) group, currently meeting at the Seven Hills North Public School, have been granted Company status.

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Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands are beautiful islands of paradise that I have had the privilege of visiting recently. Both islands are par t of our Conference and have a wonderfully strong connection and heritage with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are the communities within our Conference that have the highest ratio of Adventists per head of population.

However, as with our churches in Sydney, we cannot rest on heritage and history; we cannot be content with what God has done in the past.

We have been called to be a people on a mission.

The message of a loving Lord and Saviour who will soon return continually needs to be presented in both tried and true ways and also in new and relevant ways to our community.

Recently, I have been studying the life of Joshua, and I have been encouraged by his faith in taking hold of the promises that God would deliver them into the Promised Land. In Joshua 3:15-17 it speaks of how the river, overflowing because it was the harvest season, stood up like a wall, whilst the rest flowed into the Dead Sea so that the Israelites could cross into the Promised Land on a dry river bed. There they were, holding the Ark of the Covenant, standing in the midst of the dry river bed while the millions of Israelites crossed over. Being reminded of God’s ability to deliver on His promises in such a powerful and direct way, gives me the continued hope and courage that Jesus will fulfil His promise in John 14:3 that He will come again and take us to be with Him. I love how it says in Joshua 5:1 that when the Canaanite Kings heard about the dry river bed crossing they lost hear t and were

michael worker, president paralysed with fear. They knew and understood that the God of Heaven could be taken at His word. May we today, in 2015, continue to believe that God can be taken at His word and that His promises will surely be fulfilled.

An exciting development for Greater Sydney is our par tnership with the Solomon Islands. As a Conference Office team, we have just assisted the volunteers who work from the shed in Wahroonga to load a container bound for the Solomons filled with computers, medical equipment and clothing. Soon, in your church, you will receive a shor t video, which will also be on the Conference website. It will launch some initiatives associated with this par tnership.

We would love your assistance to achieve the following for the Solomon Island par tnership: • Donations to send containers to the Solomon Islands.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 in order to send 10 containers. Greater Sydney Conference has contributed $10,000 for the first container so we are seeking a fur ther $90,000.

• Donations of clean, presentable, summer-weight clothing to include in the containers.

• Volunteers to assist on Wednesday mornings to sor t clothing and equipment to send to the Pacific nations.

Fur ther, if there are churches considering service trips, flyand-builds or medical suppor t through par tnering with clinics and hospitals, we would like to encourage you to consider the Solomon Islands. Please contact me by email at MichaelWorker@adventist.org.au if you would like more information on a service or mission trip to the Solomon Islands.

May God bless you as we continue to look forward to the soon coming of Jesus.

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p i T p i h s r e d a e L

t you should do as I given you an example, tha e hav I r s “Fo s, say 15 13: John feet of His disciples wa opinion, Jesus washing the my a In in ”. m you the to to e ne lov do e hav of humility and onstr ating His character p is shi der lea ian rist Ch e an effective way of dem . Effectiv which they could follow this into the practical sense through r lives and transforming ou in rist Ch of ter rac cha d to be a the nee ing we enc eri rds about exp to follow. In other wo e els ne eo som for s most exemplar y lesson . living example of Christ

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? y it n u m m o C h c r u h W hat i s C C hurch communit y nity means doing Christian commu isn’t always neat and

jar r od s.

life together. It ssy--but it must tidy--sometimes it’s me be life lived in uld be authentic. It sho on suppor t d nde fou , fun fullness and st be open to and kindness. And it mu es must always niti anyone. Our commu ltiply or they mu and w gro be willing to will stagnate and stink.

nity to me means Church commuI can be comfor table

a place where w that I to make mistakes and kno per son. It ter can get help to be a bet es, it’s a tim bad in means in good and nt on to be community that I can cou ce where I by my side. It means a pla that God nts tale am free to use the I can learn ere wh ce pla a gave me . It’s and how to from others about God llenges. I think the cha ’s navigate some of life ts with my immediate church community star wider church family and extends to the ere everyone wh community. It is a place rstay. It’s a where you can never ove and d me lco always feels we d’s Go desire in re and learn more about place where we can sha en to grow up, ldr chi ce where I want my our lives, and it is the pla t I can see tha ce pla a nds to be in, and a place I wish all my frie God’s daily mir acles.

is my family, a place w here I can be mysel f, find comfort , rest megan t. and rejuvenation bot h spir it uall y and emot ionall y wit hin t he “f our wal ls” of my “home”. ing. It It means sharing eandgetcar ting to know

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C hurch communit y embraces people and t he communit y is enhanced. The sense ralph w. of family I receive and G od’s blessings are en larged because of it.

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r onalda h.

means taking tim sharing one another. I see this as and then ies ivit act fun g rin meals, sha tough the get es impor tantly, when tim share that to re the be l relationship wil flowing into too. I see this ultimately ns between comfor table collaboratio rking to wo er eth ministr ies and tog sion. mis com pel gos complete the

nest goal, is My vision andrchearcom munity

to see our chu ple being a place where peo ere feel they belong. Wh hé ‘hope’ is not simply a clic a truth but ent tem sta ting marke nge cha that radiates positive do. As through everything we have we , nity mu com a church vilege pri the responsibility and listen n, ma ow to engage our fell ture nur and at y’re the to where will ers und tanding of God’s each other to a better ce of pla a be munity needs to for us. Our church com to s nes ive ent att and ativity relevance , innovation, cre gh their ou thr ve ser to e com how every individual can nderful rch community has a wo God-given gifts. The chu ng bei of joy ng azi and the am hope of a life in Christ it. ce bra em to e car o wh able to share this with all

jason c.

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y it n u m m o C f o h I n S e ar c

m social anxiety, reality is that I suffer fro the ne, ryo eve and e on lthough most talk to any I have felt ver y lonely and that I am outgoing and people . Because of this to ted nec share in con g outside obser ver s think yin sta group of friends who can really connecting with, and others and be par t of a to t ou which can stop me from ch rea to e abl have ached to be isolated from people and dy at Avondale. safety. to Sydney in 1996 to stu ved mo and hild rking, ndc gra ldren and night when I wasn’t wo time round, I left my chi hours, par ticular ly Friday h bat sic, Sab mu the red Being single the second nd sac to fou I ng about it, listeni ng out on my own again, filled in spite of praying be ’t ldn After graduation and goi cou d voi ng rni ely. This deep yea extremely empty and lon pir ational books. ins g din Bible study or rea a friend would speak g’ was accentuated when lon ‘be to ire sharing, des and loneliness companionship, study and Every now and then my oyed attending with its d. enj voi she this up fill gro uld n’s wo me ying that God about the Friday night wo ld attend. I just kept pra cou I if ask to e rag cou but I didn’t have the sing and continued l felt something was mis stil I , und aro e cam group hts when Friday nig to attend this women’s Even after I remarr ied, nd asked if I would like frie I my , ple ally peo Fin d. new voi g fill this about meetin praying for a mir acle to . In spite of some anxiety eed agr I d, Go ng nki tha with her and of course , ndly and safe. incredibly welcoming, frie found the women to be e, but we are still a safe men have come and gon wo up, gro ng this ing end e been att of all thank God for bei Over the ten years I hav re, laugh, cry and most sha w, gro and dy stu ere we haven, a community wh

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mbers of all Typically has the most me ching out rea at ed Aim small groups. viding a to the community and pro rch family. chu a stepping stone to join

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Church Community

greater sense Aimed at developing a church family. a hin of community wit ate in der mo up gro Keeping the genuine m for to ple peo ws size allo relationships

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MANA

C onf lict is a Part of Life

CON

Let me just share my philosophy on how I’ve solved conflicts.

Some of them I couldn’t solve and a few of them I could solve.

First of all, conflict is part of life — part of church life, part of family life. My understanding of conflict is it occurs when people are hurting, when people are frustrated or when people are angry.

(Especially in Chur

Before I try to resolve a conflict, I need to see where the people involved are hurting, frustrated and why they are angry. In some cases, people have conflict when they are fearful or have fear. So, in a church board or any other situation of the church, I like to sit down with the person and find out why she is hurting, frustrated or angry or showing fear for one reason or another.

If I don’t discover why people are angry, hurting or frustrated --if I don’t discover the root -- I won’t have much success. It’s important for me to sit with the people and hear both sides. In many cases, people agree to come together and talk.

When I discover that, I like to follow the guidelines taught in Matthew 18, go to your brother, talk. Take one or two witnesses and dialogue with that person.

Once we have an agreement that yes, both parties are willing to solve an issue or conflict, I use the GROW formula.

G - Goal: When I try to solve a conflict and both parties agree, I ask “What do you want to achieve; what is your goal? This applies to church, life and even to marriage.

R - Reality: Where are you right now? How are things going right now. What do you want to talk about?

O - Options: What can you do to deal with this issue? How do these things line up with our goals? What are our options?

W - What Will You Do Next? What do you have to do to achieve the goal? This is a technique that I use when we try to solve conflicts, with church families and with family units. In a church situation, the most important thing is the healing power of the gospel. It has the power to heal emotions and to heal hurt.

pr. nataniel pereira

pastor s, car ing eir a is the pastor to the

Pr. Nataniel Per As Ministerial Secpasrettorarys ,and enting their interests at their families and repres 5, after for the needs of role in Januar y 201 level. He began in the tive tra inis adm e riat rop the app a local church pastor. many years of ser ving as

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AGING

Be an Agent for Peace

FLI CT

We’ve probably all heard the saying that ‘people won’t care what we know until they know we care’, referring to people we share our faith and beliefs with. However, there can be times when we are so intent on getting our point across that we can forget to be caring with those within our own congregation because we are focused on our opportunity to enlighten them to our way of thinking.

rch Board Meetings)

In particular, church meetings can encourage the kind of zeal where different, well-meaning approaches can collide; and because we are all gifted in different ways, we are likely to approach the same situation differently. People will be driven by what they perceive to be of highest importance or priority; of greatest value and of moral virtue.

Fortunately, we share a basic underlying system of beliefs that we can agree on, however, the finer details are often up for debate. We need to engage some practical skills in order to navigate these conversations: A Peaceful Environment Begins With You Value the messenger more than the message: Savage and Boyd-Macmillan (2010) wrote: “Peace cannot be imposed; it must be generated from the ground up by ordinary people. By us”. Remember that we value others and our bond with them more than we value being right. In return if others value you, your opinion will matter to them.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Control the Way You Deliver Your Message Don’t be pushed around by your worry, zeal or anger: Sometimes we can have strong feelings when voicing our opinion about something we feel is important. Be comfortable in knowing how to express your viewpoint; talk about it with someone you trust before voicing it in public; talk aloud to yourself to practice what you want to say; or write down a few important points to clarify your message before expressing it; and pray to consult with God about the matter.

These steps can help us balance our feelings with rational and realistic thinking, as well as inviting God into our decision-making.

Be an agent for peace as well as change!

cl aire marsh

g to Marsh offers counsellin unselling Ser vices, Claire Co tist ven Ad of er nag s Ma families. individuals, couples and (2010); ‘Conflict in Eolene Boyd-MacMillan & age Sav a Sar : Publishers). nce ere (Ar ticle ref d, England; Lion Hudson , At Work, In Life’; Oxfor me Ho At ps: shi e.) on ntr lati Re Book Ce ered from the Adventist This resource can be ord

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ADRA Community Five am on Sunday morning; my stomach

was full of knots. There was so much work in and around the house that needed to be done before the inspectors’ visit the following week. A single mother of two boys of seven and five, with very limited funds, I could not afford to pay for the work. The thought that I was on my own filled me with so much despondency that I began to cry. Little did I know that help was on the way.

Around eight someone knocked at the door. Wondering who was visiting so early, I opened the door. The man facing me introduced himself, “I am Eddy. My friends and I were made aware that a lady living at this address needed help so here we are”.

For a minute or two I did not know what to say. Eddy relieved the tension by explaining who the group was. Having been informed about the type of work that needed doing, they had come with the required tools and equipment.

Quickly the group spread out.

Two began to mow the lawn, which was a good six inches tall. Leon and Jim worked on fixing the shower, which leaked badly.

Branko and Eddy busied themselves building a chicken house for the half dozen chooks that I owned. The three women of the group helped me clean and tidy the house then fix food for lunch.

Family Matters As I was sitting in a church service recently, I saw a beautiful image

of loving relationships play out. There was a young family sitting in front of me with a young boy and young girl probably aged 5 and 6-years old respectively. The boy leant over to his sister, looked into her eyes and then lay his head on her lap. She stroked his hair and he just relaxed and enjoyed it. It was so beautiful to see and reminded me of what loving relationships are all about.

What is a loving relationship? To me, it is demonstrated by how we treat each other. It is also the idea of what we do to show love and acceptance even when a person does not deserve it.

In this situation, our natural instinct is to close up shop and defend

Lunch time gave us the chance to get acquainted. I learned a lot about ADRA Blacktown Community Centre. When I learned that counselling was one of the services available for free, I became quite interested because the family doctor had diagnosed that my difficult circumstances had caused me to suffer from chronic depression.

By five o’clock, the team began to pack their tools and get ready to leave. Everything looked different. The lawn around the house was neatly done, no more leak in the shower and the chicken looked happy in their spacious coop.

That Sunday was the beginning of my association with ADRA. I did go for counselling, which helped me deal with the issues that had caused so many sleepless nights and silent tears. I still go regularly to ADRA’s office, no longer for any par ticular help but as a member of UBUNTU, the Sabbath afternoon suppor t and Bible study group. Over the years I have been helped in many ways but what I value the most is the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds everything that ADRA Blacktown stands for and quietly yet efficiently accomplishes.

Contributed by Pr Eddy Johnson ourselves. We don’t feel like showing love or treating the person with respect. This is the hardest time to love. Yet, Jesus showed through deed and action what we are to do when He said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Love is not only a feeling but more impor tantly a doing word. This was fully expressed through the life of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us (John 3:16). Seeing the brother and sister interact was a demonstration of a loving relationship. What are you doing to show love in your family, neighbourhood and workplace?

My challenge for us is that we will have more loving homes, families, churches and communities so that we may live. John 13:35 “By this all men [women] will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. Go on, love one another just like the brother and sister!

Contributed by Pr Cheonneth Strickland

nt, Dr Currow what he tist Medical Superintende ven Ad d at the ire ret ed ask I When he led the medical team ship in the many years and rale mo ld bui to had learned about leader he said wcastle Public Hospital, rm them affi to ff; sta e’s then prestigious Royal Ne on in e lly believ s ver y impor tant to rea cor ruption command respect it wa es of integrity, safety or ach bre ar cle re we re the if ediately. but imm ity es tun r ctic po pra at every op continue in these o wh ff sta s mis dis and believe in the good but to be absolutely ruthless leader ship? Simply this, ian rist Ch ut abo us ch rch members, affirm and What can this tea Godly behaviour from chu ect Exp l. evi for nce era have zero tol ately. sin and discard it immedi love them but recognise

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Our Churchese Safe Must B

Churches should be the safest places

for children and young families. Church attendance provides spiritual comfor t and inspiration and a critical social network. The healthy lifestyle, prayer life and the message of love and forgiveness contribute to a person’s overall wellbeing and fulfilment.

Unfor tunately, however, churches can also attract people who see the environment of love, care and trust as an oppor tunity for abuse and exploitation.

That is why we all have to be aler t. According to Dallas O’Connor, Investigation Coordinator at Safe Place Services, addressing risks begins with recognising the existence of risks. “If we don’t realise there is a problem, then there is little motivation to do anything about it. The data that Safe Place Services has accumulated over the past 10 years shows us clearly who is at risk in the Adventist Church in Australia and New Zealand. 75% of cases investigated by Safe Place Services relate to situations in local congregations, and it is women and children who are most likely to experience the Church as unsafe.”

Pr David Rober tson, Director of Safe Place Services, says, “It appears that there has been a shift in the Church’s culture over the past decade. When conducting training amongst Churches and local Conference leaders, the culture of denial and embarrassment that used to exist when talking about abuse has been replaced with an openness and willingness to acknowledge and address issues. In 2010, a survey of Conferencelevel administrators and depar tmental staff across both Australia and New Zealand, gained 68 responses.” Overwhelmingly, respondents in the survey agreed that: (1) perpetrators can deliberately target the Adventist Church for child-victims (82%); (2) Adventist congregations are not thought to be safer for children than groups in the community, like spor ts clubs or child care centres (86%); and (3) being a ‘believer’ does not make a

person automatically ‘safer’ in terms of their potential to abuse (85%). “This level of response indicates that the Church’s leadership now have their eyes wide open to potential risks,” reflects Pr Rober tson.

Pr Rober tson states, “We now recognise and have a better understanding of risks. As we see the work being done in local Conferences to establish Safe Place Committees; implement local Church policies and train local Church Boards and children’s ministry leaders, the safety within the Church is increasing. As local Churches, Conferences, and the Unions across Australia and New Zealand continue to work together, these combined effor ts are helping the Church in its mission to offer a foretaste of the peace and safety that will one day characterise God’s eternal kingdom.”

Contributed by Safe Place Services

What Should I Do in Response to Abuse?

Situations of children exposed to abuse or neglect should be reported to Government child-protection services in your region. In an emergency contact police on 000. To seek advice, or to discuss a situation of concern within the Adventist Church, call Safe Place Services on 1800 220 468. The Church’s website www.safeplaceservices.org.au contains information on counselling and child protection services throughout Australia.

5 Essential Safety Steps to Prevent Abuse 1. ALWAYS have two or more adults present at activities for children and young people; 2. Promote an open-door policy; activities are not run in confined and private one-on-one spaces; 3. Screen volunteers using reference checks and required criminal history checks; 4. Require new attendees to wait six months before appointing then to work with children; 5. Train and support volunteers These steps are covered in the Child Environments Safe policy template for local churches and endorsed for use in Australia and New Zealand by both Unions. The Policy, and all the resources that go with it, such as forms, brochures and posters, have been translated into Spanish, Chinese and Samoan. These can all be downloaded by visiting the Safe Place Services website.

Your GSC Safe Places Coordinator is Suzanne Hadfield. She can be contacted via email on SuzanneHadfield@adventist.org.au.

Hurstville Student an Ace Rozanna Ajami is only five, but the junior is already being

touted as a top-liner on the tennis cour t.

Rozanna, a pupil at Hurstville Adventist School, first picked up a racquet at three-years old and appears to show no signs of putting it down.

Her personal coach is Renee Lampret, a former women's player on the professional circuit who has coached for many years.

Lampret said she works several days a week with Rozanna, but pointed out that it's a steady and relaxed approach to teaching the junior girl about the game.

"I am Rozanna’s full-time coach, Lamper t said. “She won't be playing in a junior competition until she is say between six and eight."

Rozanna’s parents want to ensure that the fun stays in the game. Linda Ajami, Rozanna’s mother and a parent that helps and is involved at school, said that attending Hurstville Adventist School has made it easier for Rozanna to pursue tennis and that Rozanna also loves the school. When asked what subject she likes best, the fiveyear old quietly mentions, “I really like maths”.

While on holiday in Lebanon, the Lebanese Spor ts Minister noticed Rozana's skills when her family was visiting relatives. The ministry has invited her to Turkey on 23 July next year to play in a junior event in a spor ts festival.

MAC Alive

This term Macar thur Adventist College successfully

introduced a Friday vesper, coined MAC Alive, to give primary students and their families an oppor tunity to experience worship that students par ticipate in during the week.

MAC Alive was originally set to be run every term; however, with the success of the first vespers, the school has opted to run the program on an alternating monthly schedule between the primary and secondary schools.

The evening star ted with a BBQ dinner, followed by praise and worship and a message from Pastor Landry

about Paul and the impor tance of keeping a focus on Jesus.

Jessica Lee, one of the organisers of MAC Alive, shared that approximately 13 families showed, with over 50 people in attendance.

“It was a really great oppor tunity for parents to see their kids worshipping,” Jessica says, “and it was so nice that a lot of the primary staff were in attendance and helped with the whole program”.

Macar thur will soon announce when the next scheduled MAC Alive program will be run, but this is an exciting space to keep an eye on as it grows.

Senior Day of W orshi p 2015

On Thursday, 26 February, students from Hills Adventist College, Mountain View Adventist College and Macar thur gathered together for a day of fun and combined worship. Students were asked to come in their spor t uniforms, as they got to par ticipate in ice-skating and putt-putt golf at Liverpool Catholic Club in the morning.

Avondale College provided lunch for the students, who had the oppor tunity to mingle and talk to Avondale College students and each other. After lunch they enjoyed a thought-provoking and fun chapel service with a talk by Pastor Eddie Hypolite from Avondale College Church.

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The Importance of P lay The proverb “All work and no play

mental disorders. It’s not just that we makes Jack a dull boy“ might hold are detecting such disorders where we more truth than it is given credit. failed to look before; the increase is

Our lives seem to have more real.” demanding schedules than ever before,

A recent large-scale survey and this demand doesn’t just affect conducted by British and Chinese adults. Research is star ting to show researchers found that Chinese that a lack of play might be detrimental schoolchildren to a child’s overall learning, development, and most of all their creativity.

As a kid,

Peter s I mig ht so me sign Gray, a research ’m feeling d are if I be stresse I’m professor at Boston resse d, if us or dep io x ch n a College and author , d tire and sto ma headaches f o g of Free to Learn in se ss, mis d co mplain due to stre be y has conducted a m h cting aches, whic r if I’m “a research on the of sleep o ck la r o meals ot value of play that are n in actions t” u o for children’s havio urs normal be development. He points out that some of the most impor tant skills children everywhere must learn in order to live happy, productive, moral lives are skills that are learned and practised by children in play. These include the abilities to think creatively, to get along with other people and cooperate effectively and to control their own impulses and emotions.

Gray states, “This dramatic decline in children’s oppor tunities to play has been accompanied by an equally dramatic increase in childhood

suffer from extraordinarily high levels of anxiety, depression and psychosomatic stress disorders, which appear to be linked to academic pressures and lack of play.

According to the scholar and author Yong Zhao, who is an exper t on schools in China, a common Chinese term used to refer to the products of their schools is gaofen dineng, which essentially means good at tests but bad at everything else. Due to students spending nearly all of their time studying, they end up with little oppor tunity to be creative, discover or pursue their own passions, or develop physical and social skills.

Some parents might feel it’s more productive to keep their kids constantly occupied, rather than leave free time for playing, exploring and learning on their own.

They might also fear that their kids will miss out on key experiences if they aren’t doing what other kids are par ticipating in-- a term dubbed today as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This fear has carried on into teens and early adults that may be looking at what they need to do to best prepare for the future. So what can parents do in order to make sure that their kids are all right?

References: http://ind.pn/1kwVdmv’; http://bit.ly/1BudsVa

Fi nd ing Time for Fami ly and Fun

Slow Down:

Leave Time for Family and Play:

The pressure to par ticipate in the myriad of activities all the time to simply “keep up” can be physically and emotionally exhausting for parents and kids. And though most parents seem to just want what is best for their children, even good intentions might quickly lead to an overscheduled life with no time to play. Taking things in moderation helps with burn out, and choosing activities that are enjoyed, by kids is impor tant.

Having some unscheduled time, not worrying about missing out and letting kids play might be just what a child, or even a family, needs.

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“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

www.gscadventist.org.au / March - April 2015 11

Identity:

W hat We G ive

“I believe our identity comes from what we give rather than what we have. Our materialistic world is about our possessions, how big my house is and what car I drive. I’ve thought about why I have committed my working life to the Church a number of times and it’s because I believe in this church”.

Dulce Ferguson began working for the Seventhday Adventist Church in 1967 as a bindery hand and then receptionist at Signs Publishing Company and then as par t-time receptionist at Avondale College. She eventually transitioned to the Division; the SAN; back to Signs Publishing and then to the Greater Sydney Conference, where she has served as the secretary to nine presidents.

Now, in her 48th year of service and her 40th in Greater Sydney Conference, she is planning to retire. Her presence in the office brings a sense of stability, proficiency and continuity. As the longest-serving member in the Conference, she is seen as a great resource, a listening ear and a bedrock. A conversation with her makes it evident this sense of service was received as a gift from her parents.

“My parents did a lot for the church and community so I guess it was modeled for me. Mum helped run the children’s programs and concer ts; dad was an elder from time-to-time. They ran a branch Sabbath School as well.

We’d all pile in the car and go off and do Sabbath School for people in rural areas. They were always inviting the needy home for Sabbath lunch”.

But stronger than obligation and tradition is a deeply flowing love for her church. In dreaming for the church in Sydney, Dulce says, “I would love to see our church take over this city. I believe our church has the answer to all of this world’s problems because we follow Scripture so closely. We have the perfect doctrine of love –we do need to work on it a bit—but it’s there if we follow Jesus and are true disciples for Him”. Fur ther strengthening her commitment to the church is the commitment of her husband, Graham, who she

describes as being “very committed to the church as well.

I’m really blessed that we both have that same focus.”

As time has passed, Dulce has seen many changes occur. In addition to being the President’s Secretary, she’s also worked as the Membership Secretary and Depar tmental Assistant to the Ministerial Association Secretary and Trust Services Director.

Improvements in technology have caused her role to shift over the years. “Because things have changed so much, it changes the way an office operates - manual typewriters were replaced by electric ones. Post was a major way of communication. Carbon copies, wax stencils and Gestetner copying machines were a nightmare! What a blessing the electronic age has become”!

During the conversation, Dulce shuffles through old session books, church membership records and photos, sometimes thoughtfully, other times with a smile. “I’ve seen lots of people leave our church,” she says wistfully, “if only we could recapture all of those talented people - what a mighty force we could be”. As Membership Secretary, she’s constantly reminded of church attendance versus the membership. “The children – the lost children. The people who come but don’t feel at home in the church.

They disappear because they don’t feel connected. If every member could embrace the challenge to make them feel welcome”.

And to Dulce this is key –every member being involved, not expecting the pastor to do everything. “We expect a lot of our pastors – to visit everyone; to preach a sermon every week and do a multitude of other things. We have to encourage everyone to become disciples, which is very much the focus of our Conference at the moment”.

How can we all become disciples? How can we express love for God and His church? Dulce believes it’s easiest to give to the church when you “find your passion where you can serve”. She shares, “I guess I’ve been able to do a lot more because we don’t have children. But the real key is to find where your passion lies and use that God-given passion for Him”.

“I think working in the Conference has actually blessed and helped my spiritual journey as well. It’s not the case for everyone, but I’ve found the environment nur turing for my own spiritual life. I’ve been privileged to work with many wonderful men and women and to serve a very gracious God”.

Dulce Ferguson

Greater ventist Church (40 for the for the Seventh-day Ad sence, rs pre yea r 48 He for e. ng vic rki ser wo m fter par ing to retire fro pre is on gus Fer . lce ice Du off , the Sydney Conference) will be greatly missed in ication and proficiency patience, continuity, ded

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I Am a Missionary

H e ar t & S o u l

“I am a missionary hear t and soul,” wrote David Livingstone, famed missionary to Africa. It was Livingstone’s story of courage and purpose that propelled Syd Stocken into 22 ½ years of missionary service throughout the Solomon Islands and Papau New Guinea with his wife Beryl. Being a missionary was a dream God placed in Syd’s hear t and through his ambition, he carried out God’s calling for his life.

After meeting Syd at Avondale College, Beryl knew he longed to become a missionary. After graduating, the pair moved to Adelaide, where Syd began his ministry.

According to his book How the Crocodile Missed His Breakfast, Syd “got around his work on a pushbike for which he was paid a penny a mile to cover expenses! ‘I worked hard, but I had no desire to be a ‘normal’ preacher. My mind was on New Guinea, and my young bride knew it’!”

Soon after the war finished, in 1945, -- and after 2 years of marriage -- Syd and Beryl were on their way to New Guinea. For tunately, she was also interested in missions. Though at times the work caused feelings of separation and loneliness, they found it to be very rewarding and satisfying. Nowadays, it’s especially rewarding, as they see the tremendous growth of the church in the area and meet people, who have become doctors and nurses and have contributed to their local communities as a result of the work they and many other missionaries carried out.

Although David and Beryl were not medical missionaries, they soon found themselves needing to be jacks-of-all-trades. On one occasion, after living in Papau New Guinea for a few years, a girl was brought in to them because a crocodile had almost torn off her leg. Though not a doctor, Syd got the sharpest scissors he could find and cut the tendon that dangled from the remainder of the girl’s leg. The girl groaned as he did this because there was no anaesthetic for the procedure. Unfor tunately, after being transpor ted to a hospital, she passed away. Beryl and Syd also found themselves, pulling teeth and treating other ailments. In the situation, people looked up to them and depended on them. “You just had to do the best you could,” shares Beryl, “the Lord helped us and gave us wisdom”.

One of Beryl and Syd’s most amazing contributions was in response to the need of the community to hear the Word of God. Beryl and Syd didn’t have Bibles for the hundreds of native people who surrounded them. With the help of their Conference President, they eventually were able to use gramophones, which were initially intended to spread propaganda, to share the Bible with remote villages all over New Guinea. The Bible was translated in pigeon English and then into the many different dialects of remote villages all over New Guinea.

rs a Ye 0 7 er ov or f e g ia rr a M y p p a H How We’ve Kept a

Beryl and Syd Stocken, married for over 70 years, reside in Adventist Aged Care’s Wahroonga Village. When asked for marriage advice, they shared the following: We’re Just a Normal Couple

Opposites Attract

Show a Sense of Caring

Most impor tantly, we’re just a normal couple with ups and downs and differences of opinion. It is ONLY because of God’s care that we have enjoyed such a lengthy married life of almost 72 years. He has spared us from so many fatal accidents and illnesses.

Keep It 50/50

This has been beneficial in our case. Syd is very outgoing and fun-loving. Beryl is painfully shy and more serious. Beryl was happy to hide behind Syd and enjoy the friendships he made.

Syd always took his marriage vows seriously.

He always sensed his responsibility to care for Beryl and in his old age says that is his job. He is a kind and loving husband Be Spiritually One

One Goal - Mission Service

This is very impor tant

We enjoyed the challenges but were very conscious of the fact of our need of God’s help and guidance. Many mistakes were made; God blessed our work in spite of it.

Mission Work & Marriage

Our rule has always been - and still is - 5050 (i.e. working together) Make Up Quickly

Looking back, we are so pleased we chose mission work. It was very satisfying work.

Someone needs to say ‘sorry’ no matter who is at fault

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www.gscadventist.org.au / March - April 2015 13

Adventure to the Solomon Islands

d e d n i M e l g n i S How do we view and value singleness in our churches? For some of us, singleness is a tiny speck in our rearview mirror; it’s hard to remember life before our partner. For others, it is a real and present reality that we are painfully reminded of each time we peer into the mirror. Kate Wharton, author of Single Minded, quotes author Al Hsu in his book The Single Issue saying, “Without demeaning marriage, the New Testament gives a new dignity to singleness. Both are equally valid ways to serve God.”

Staff members from the Greater Sydney Conference got together to pack a shipping container for the Solomon Islands Each item was weighed before being placed on the container. In order to make sure the container was not over weight; a careful list was kept. Every box, bag and item was numbered to correspond to the list. Clothing was rolled to save space and then packed into bags and sealed. All of the boxes, bags and equipment were packed tightly in the container to save space. At last the container was filled to the brim with books, clothing and equipment

Get

Involved in Outr ea ch

to

•

Donate money to send containers to the Solomon Islands. Our goal is to raise $100,000 in order to send 10 containers. Greater Sydney Conference has contributed $10,000 for the first container so we are seeking a fur ther $90,000. Ask your church treasurer how to contribute or e-mail EvaIng@adventist.org.au

•

Donate clean, presentable, summer-weight clothing to include in the containers. Drop-off in the clothing bin at the back of Wahroonga Church at any time or at the shed at the South Pacific Division Office on a Wednesday between 9 am and 3 pm.

•

Volunteer to assist on Wednesday mornings to sor t clothing and equipment to send to the Pacific nations. Contact MichaelWorker@adventist.org.au for more information.

So

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March - April 2015 \ www.gscadventist.org.au

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My relationship with Jesus matters because He is a friend I can call on at any time.

Kate also says Jesus came to bring life to the full, whatever our marital status.

“When we are sold out for God, then life will be the very best that it can be – whether married or single, with children or without— because we will be on our way to becoming who we are created to be.”

Anthony Hutapea, Waitara Profession of Faith

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Single Minded is available at the Adventist Book Centre

It was very important for me to get baptised because I would like to pass on what I know about Jesus and spread His love to others

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Marina Ban, Waitara Baptism

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Islands

Our relationship with God means a lot to us. As parents we tell our kids about God all the time hopeful that as they grow they will spread what they know about God’s love.

Chaw Ban & Mup Paw Pa Profession of Faith

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www.gscadventist.org.au / March - April 2015 15

2-5 OCTOBER

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