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DECEMBER 2015

E K

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P P O E

H A R I S Q

C I F E R E

Z O L S D T S U O T N S M P Y P P A H N

H R M E H E L H T E B P E Y H B I Q Q T

D D O Y I E L B A T S H N T Z R H P

O L L J O H N X I T E D T I X Y

N E R D L I H C A L D K S G

K G Y D D X D R H P F E

I O E N S V I C M T I U W C

F V Y Y A N B O K E T I M E

P C H R I S T M A S B S S A A R

X M P Z S M TB E P S T E R

M J A N Q Y OM P Q I R D Y

N E M R B

N W A A U

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Answers will be published in next

month’s issue of The Advocate.

Angel

Bethlehem

Children

Christmas

Donkey

Egypt

Escape

HappyJohn

Joseph

JudeaMaryMen

Messiah

Presents

StableStar

StrawWise

Get festive and find Christmas words listed below in the diagram.

The words appear horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backward.

Answers to the Feeding the Five

Thousand crossword in the November

2015 issue.

intermission

This

voucher

entitles you

to 15% off

your next

purchase

in store

at Mount

Lawley

The Advocate – December 2015

Reviews by Koorong Mount Lawley

Assistant Manager

Dorothy Waddingham

Website: www.koorong.com

Address: 434 Lord Street, Mount Lawley

Phone: 08 9427 9777

listen

read

Open Heaven / River Wild

Hillsong

From the time Hillsong released ‘O Praise

The Name (Anástasis)’ but was yet to

make an album I waited in anticipation, a

triumphant song and a great opener to this

new album, Open Heaven/River Wild. Let

heaven wash over you like a river with the

worship from this album. But even more,

let it inspire you to let the river of God’s

love flow out of your life and into your

world to bring life to all around us and to

light the way to the Kingdom. This is what

we are called to do and this is what Hillsong

are doing through their music. Available

on CD or DVD and in a deluxe version with

both, you can also get the music book to

take it into your church or just enter deeper

into the experience.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

Nabeel Qureshi

An amazing biography of a man earnestly

seeking the true God, Seeking Allah, Finding

Jesus takes you on a personal journey

through the eyes of a devout Muslim. Whilst

growing up in the west, Nabeel Qureshi

questions his own faith, searching for

answers and asking God to reveal Himself.

Nabeel tells his story with knowledge and

insight for an engaging and challenging

journey into Christianity. He shares insight

into a living in a Muslim home and then

the heart-wrenching decision made from

discovering the truth of Jesus, confirmed

through dreams and visions. Nabeel’s

testimony helps Christians understand how

to reach out and talk with Muslims through

his own experience and challenges us about

God’s heart for everyone.

Simplify

Bill Hybels

Simplify is highly recommended and a great

book for anyone who feels overwhelmed,

overworked, restless, or exhausted. Written

by Bill Hybels, author and pastor, Simplify

is a book to help you clean out your inner

world to live the fulfilled life God intended

you to live. It aims to reveal what is most

important in your life with many examples

of what a fulfilled life looks like and how

you can make it a reality. With practical

steps, Bill Hybels slowly works through each

area of your life, helping you understand

what to focus on, what may need to change

and how to go about the change in a

very encouraging way. This book is for

anyone who wants to move from not just a

simplified life but to a satisfied life with God.

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Committed to being honest, transparent and above reproach.

DECEMBER 2015theadvocate.tv

BAPTIST CHURCHES

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

5 The game changerA new TV series about Jesus’s teachings >>

10 Seeds bring hopeAn agricultural loan program is changing lives >>

15 For the childrenChristmas activities for the kids to enjoy >>

Early in its development, Peter

and Jean McSkimming agreed

to join the Church and offer

their support temporarily as

it was established. Already in

their 60s they were the ‘old

heads’ in a younger church

and each Sunday without fail

they travelled up to Quinns

from their home in East Perth.

The few months they

originally committed to,

turned into a few years, but

as 2015 draws to a close they

will no longer be commuting

from the city each week.

February 2016 would have

marked 20 years for their

weekly commute.

After nearly 20 years, Quinns Baptist Church members Peter and Jean McSkimming will now have a change of scenery each Sunday morning.

Just before the McSkimmings

arrived, Mary Taylor joined

Quinns Baptist Church (QBC)

with her husband Dave and this

year her time at QBC also comes

to an end as she leaves for her

new home in Bridgetown.

A special service to say ‘thank

you’ to these three people for

their faithfulness and dedication

over such a long period was held

on Sunday 15 November.

In leading the service,

QBC Pastor Andrew Hamilton

commented that in days where

it is hard to get people to commit

to a six week Bible study, the idea

of doing anything for 20 years is

inspiring and challenging.

“Quinns held the service to

celebrate their contribution and

to honour them, but also to say

‘this is a picture of how we want

church to be – a community

of people who seek the good of

the community over their own

preferences’,” Andrew said.

During their time at QBC,

both Peter and Jean have served

on the leadership team, Peter

has been known for his focus on

hospitality and welcoming the

newcomer, while Jean has served

in various roles from finance

to teaching children in Sunday

School. Mary has been a worship

team member, Quinns Baptist

College teacher and a much

loved down to earth member

of the Church. 

Church member Chris

Robinson spoke on behalf of the

Church to thank each person

and Baptist Churches Western

Australia Director of Ministries,

Pastor Mark Wilson, shared

an inspiring and encouraging

message on the importance of

church as a team to the large

crowd of past and present church

members at the service.

In his response, Peter

McSkimming read passionately

from Romans 15 and challenged

the Church with Paul’s words:

‘Those of us who are strong

and able in the faith need to step

in and lend a hand to those who

falter, and not just do what is most

convenient for us. Strength is for

service, not status. Each one of

us needs to look after the good

of the people around us, asking

ourselves, “How can I help?”’ [The

Message, Romans 15:1-2]

Andrew said that these

words suitably sum up the heart

and spirit that these three

people brought to the Church

during their time at Quinns

Baptist Church.

Long drives for ministry

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In 1986 Quinns Baptist Church was formed with only a small handful of people meeting in Gumblossom Community Centre, Quinns Rocks.

In Conversation Professor Bruce Robinson AM talks about The Fathering Project and the impact it has on dads and families’ lives. PAGE 12 >>

“Want a better holiday? Follow my Dad’s advice.” JOHN MAXWELL PAGE 13>>

2 DECEMBER 2015

Slowing down to go deeper

At home I would have my diary

scheduled in such a way that

every minute of the day was

accounted for. In Malawi I could

have thrown my watch away

because rather than saying

come on Friday at 9:45am, I’d

just say come back later in the

week. And they would! They

would just ‘rock up’ one day

and sit and wait until I could

see them. Five minutes, five

hours, whatever it took. No-one

complained. No-one was in

a hurry.

You may well, like me, be

tempted to covet the carefree,

timeless life of an African

because if your life is like mine it

just seems to get busier. In fact,

this time last year we noticed that

so many people at East Fremantle

Baptist Church were tired, busy

and in danger of burnout that

we needed to address this issue

head on.

Our motto for this year has

been ‘Slowing down to go deeper’

and the picture in our heads is

of a stone skipping across a body

of water. Moving in such a hurry

that it barely dips beneath the

surface. We observed that the

problem with busyness was that

our relationships with God and

people was often like that, very

superficial, no time to go deeper.

The alternate picture is the big

rock thrown into the water that

sinks deep and leaves ripples

across the surface. Our hope was

that slowing down to go deeper

with God and people would have

ongoing ripple effects in our lives

and our culture.

It occurred to me a number of years ago, while volunteering as a physiotherapist in Malawi, that there is a very different perspective on time in Africa compared to Australia.

my view

The reflection

The next morning the tapping

was there again and by the

third morning I was starting

to worry! I tried to imagine a

conversation with my friends

about regularly hearing

unexplained tapping noises in

the early morning and decided

that I needed to discover

the source of the noise …

and quickly!

So, early the next morning,

I set myself up on a stake out.

Our garden is home to some

fairy-wrens. They are small and

very beautiful birds and they are

feisty. Determined to protect their

eggs, and always expecting the

worst, these wrens see threat and

danger everywhere they look!

It turns out that they spend

hours every day pecking at their

own reflections in the windows

of our house – tap, tap, tap. They

flap and peck and flap and peck

until they are exhausted and still

live and work with; committed

to seeing danger and threat in

our relationships – always peck,

peck, pecking away at each other.

What if we were to stop

pecking for a moment?

We just might see how like us

the other is – a reflection in fact;

made in God’s image like me!

One day at the beginning of spring I woke up to a mysterious intermittent tapping noise. The tapping came and went while I ate my breakfast and I could hear it – tap, tap, tap – as I went out the front door and down the pathway to my car.

they flap and peck some more

because the enemy is always

there staring back at them!

As I was shaking my head at

their foolishness it occurred to

me how like the fairy-wren we

can be. We share the common

ground of being made in God’s

good image but sometimes it’s

our God ordained diversity that

consumes us so that we live on

high alert, watching out for the

enemy in the human beings we

Karen Siggins is Lead Pastor at

Lesmurdie Baptist Church and

a member of the BCWA Council.

Karen Siggins

letters to the editor

send us your letters

The Advocate welcomes your letters to the editor on topics of concern to you and the community. Send your letters of no more than 100 words to editor@theadvocate.tv by the 10th of each month.

Stallion or donkey?

I was sure I would make a

profound difference in the lives

of incarcerated young people.

I went in as if I was riding

on a white stallion, full of

confidence, ready to bring God

to the prisons. I was empowered

by Luke 4:18-19 and Matthew

25:31-46 – I was going to set

captives free. So for an hour

once a week for more than two

years, I rode into the Detention

Centre, ready to change lives.

But my words fell on deaf

ears. I don’t remember setting

anyone free. Eventually, my

white stallion was tied up at the

front gate.

From 2010 to 2014 I had the

opportunity to be a chaplain

in a number of metropolitan

prisons, including the juvenile

facility. During that time I

discovered that people in prison

don’t need someone riding a

stallion bringing God through

the front gate. What is needed

are people that are willing to

humbly walk beside them as

servants, like a donkey.

I discovered that God was

already in every prison. In fact,

there are already Christians

imprisoned and at work there.

God is moving but to see it and

join in required getting off the

stallion, observing, listening, and

celebrating what God was already

doing – and having a whole lot

of patience. There is no greater

need than showing care and

compassion for individuals. God

provided opportunities to speak

into particular situations. I may

not have covered as much ground

serving like a donkey, but over

and over I saw people in prison

mock and dismiss those who did

not slow down to acknowledge

the pain and suffering and see

what God was already doing in

the prisons.

You may not be going into

a prison, but it is likely that you

are within a community which

you are passionate about and in

which you can have an influence.

As you engage, can I encourage

to think about how you do it?

Are you riding a white stallion or

walking like a donkey?

Gavin Douglas is the Pastor at

Tom Price Baptist Church.

Gavin Douglas

At the end of 2006 I was challenged to step out and have a go at being a volunteer chaplain in Banksia Hill Detention Centre for offenders aged 10 to 17 years.

Phil Beeck is Senior Pastor at

East Fremantle Baptist Church.

Phil Beeck

Two thousand years ago Mary

and Martha were having a battle

about all the same issues. Martha

thought what Jesus wanted most

was for her to be busy serving her

Master. Mary thought that most

important was sitting at Jesus’

feet and listening to His words.

It was Mary that Jesus said had

chosen the better use of her time.

Do you ever slow down? Slow

down and go deeper.

3newsDECEMBER 2015

New church for new Aussies

congregation and a host of

wellwishers from the town

and beyond.

The ribbon was cut

simultaneously by Greg Holland

(Baptist Churches Western

Australia Business Manager),

Pastor Malcolm Good (Katanning

Baptist Church Pastor), Robert

Godfrey (Shire of Katanning

representative) and Pe Tu Cho,

the oldest and much honoured

member of the Karen group

in Katanning.

The dedication service

marked a significant blessing and

achievement for the community.

The church community of about

80 people were refugees. Not

recognised within their own

country of Myanmar they had

fled to refugee camps on the Thai

Myanmar border.

Surrounded by olive and

macadamia trees, dams and

the beautiful bush of the Great

Southern region of Western

Australia, a large group of new

Australians, along with a few ‘old

timers’ prepared to dedicate their

new property.

Balloons festooned the

driveway and a ceremonial

ribbon stretched the entrance.

The faces and traditional clothing

of the Karen people were alive

with joy and colour.

Church leaders from the

Karen Church were joined

by Karen leaders, Paul Kyaw,

Community Settlement Officer

with Multicultural Services

Centre of Western Australia,

Baptist leaders from around

the state, a Shire of Katanning

representative, the Karen

Today they have made their

home in Katanning. The Karen

have become a vibrant part of

Katanning life. They now live

in peace, enjoy and contribute

to the community, and have

employment. Many were able to

vote in the recent council elections

because 26 of the families have

purchased their own homes.

“The purchase of their own

homes and the purchase of this

property means a great deal to the

Ph

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WA

Monica O’Neil

Katanning Karen Baptist Church members gathered to give thanks and dedicate to God their new property on Sunday 27 September.

Karen,” Malcolm explained.

The purchase of the property

was assisted by Baptist Churches

Western Australia (BCWA). In the

future the Church hopes to build

a hall for their church services,

according to Church Secretary

Soe Moo Kwa.

At the opening, Church

member ‘Aunty Jean’ explained

that the property had been owned

by Christians in the past who

hoped it would be a place of peace

and prayer in the future.

“It would seem the Lord has

had His hand on this property for

a long time,” she said.

“You are inheriting a place

which was already a place of prayer

and love for the Lord Jesus.”

BCWA extend hearty

congratulations to Pastor Jairus

Maung and the Church members

for their hard work, determination

and dedication to one another and

the Kingdom of God.

As part of the Katanning Karen Baptist Church community’s new property celebrations, a ribbon cutting

ceremony was held.

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Youth facility for Newman Terry Hicks

Newman Baptist Church celebrated the opening of a new youth and children’s facility in August. Built in Perth in five modules, the building was transported to Newman and placed at the rear of the existing Church building.

The evening was punctuated

with items of song, dance and

stories from each of those

countries.

Sunday morning was

celebrated in a ‘Newman style’

service with the theme of the

message being ‘A great place for a

fresh start’.

After acknowledging the

organisations and people who

made the facility possible, the

Newman Baptist Church pastors

continued the proceedings with

Pastor John Harris officially

opening the new buildings and

Pastor Garth Wootton giving a

dedicatory prayer. This was then

followed by an inspection of the

new buildings, with an informal

barbecue lunch concluding

the celebrations.

The town of Newman

has experienced a significant

Newman Baptist Church Pastor John Harris officially opens Newman’s

new youth facility.

The weekend kicked off with an

international food feast on the

Saturday evening, with church

members from at least seven

different nationalities bringing to

the table traditional food dishes of

their country of origin.

depletion of families over

the past 12 months due to

the downturn in the mining

industry. However, the church

is in good spirits and is looking

forward to growth as they take on

the challenge to introduce people

to Jesus.

4 newsDECEMBER 2015

Jill Birt

A highly competitive group of more than 200 people joined Cam and Kath Beeck and their children at Riverton Baptist Community Church recently to raise more than $3,000 to help the family return to Mozambique in 2016.

Beecks back to Mozambique

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Cam and Kath Beeck and their children are planning to return to Mozambique in January 2016.

03/11/15Andrew Sheadmoore.edu.au/resources/

thinktank

A broken person gives God

their trust and hope because

trust and hope is all they have

to give. These are the people we

need in church with us.

06/11/15Roger Morey4pm.stmatthewsshentonpark.

org.au/4pm-blog

God’s ultimate plan is the

blessing of all nations. In a world

characterised by sin, violence,

corruption and arrogance

[Genesis 3-11], God still intends

to bless all the nations of the

earth [Genesis 12:3].

08/11/15Karl Faasetwitter.com/karlfaase

Facing a tough time? The Bible

does not leave us with weak

resignation to a miserable

existence but resilient courage

of faith, hope and love.

09/11/15Stephen McAlpinestephenmcalpine.com

Because I – we – are such

‘distractable’ creatures.

Whether it’s running an actual

race, or running the spiritual

race, we need the constant

reorientation of God’s Word

and God’s people under the

tutelage of God’s Spirit to run

with endurance and attain

the prize.

12/11/15Mark Dancelifeway.com/pastors

Not only did Israel lose their

song, but Ezekiel lost his

sermon. God would not let

Ezekiel speak for a season.

I’ve been there, and it’s not

fun. However, when God put

His hand on Ezekiel again, he

preached with great power

and unction.

12/11/15Donald Millertwitter.com/donaldmiller

The reason listening to

somebody’s story is so

difficult is because it reminds

us life is about more than

just ours.

13/11/15Andrew Hamiltonbackyardmissionary.com

We are not intended to live

the life of faith alone and our

hope of becoming like Jesus

only gains traction as we do it

with other people.

15/11/15CS Lewistwitter.com/CSLewisDaily

God allows us to experience

the low points of life in order to

teach us lessons that we could

learn in no other way.

16/11/16Dan Dorianichallies.com

I call this ‘Nike Christianity’.

The mentality is, ‘Here are

the rules; just do it’ … the

Christian life is more than

rules and guidelines for good

and godly living.

digital church

“AMUC is an aid and

development exposure trip into

your own city,” Steve said.

“It costs far less – $200

if you’re earning a wage –

consumes less carbon miles,

enables you to contextualise the

gospel and live it out locally far

easier than going overseas.”

People who attend have been

challenged by the opportunities

to learn during the program.

“If you are in the right posture

it allows your heart to be broken

by the people Jesus mainly mixed

with: the marginalised,” Steve said.

Homelessness, drug

addiction, poverty of choice,

poverty of friends and family,

social exclusion, mental health,

asylum seekers are just some of

the issues and people with those

issues that AMUC participants are

exposed to.

Jaye Van Wollingen attended

the event in 2015.

“I highly recommend it for

anyone seeking to bring Jesus to

the world around us,” Jaye said.

Steve said he believes the

church in Australia is in a very

privileged place, imbedded in a

society that is in the top five percent

of the world’s richest people.

How can they when they don’t

believe in such things? They need

a worldview that has Jesus at

the centre.”

Unlocking cultural

understanding takes significant time

and requires not just observation but

immersion in the culture. Amongst

many other cultural issues, one of

the things the Beecks will focus on

learning during the coming years in

Mozambique is how decisions about

new ideas and technology are made

in Yawo culture.

Jill Birt

Annual mission exposure program AMUC (Among the Urban Community) has been running in Perth for more than a decade and preparations for the week-long January 2016 camp program are well advanced.

Organiser and director

Steve McKinnon from TEAR

Australia works with Scripture

Union Western Australia on

the Perth event which will run

from 25 to 29 January.

Members of the AMUC team explored the hidden side of Perth city

during the 2015 course.

Family and friends from the Great

Southern and across Perth joined

the party atmosphere for a night

of strong competition that tested

modelling skills (building a clay

model of a Mozambique house),

drawing skills (the best sketched

horse), knowledge of Mozambique

and general knowledge questions.

Garry Beeck from

Gnowangerup Baptist Church

presented Cam and Kath

with a cheque for $350 and

a commemorative book of

pictures highlighting the

history of the church and the

centenary celebrations in 2014.

The cheque was part of the

proceeds from selling copies of

the pictorial history book. Cam

attended Gnowangerup Baptist

Church before moving to Perth

to study at The University of

Western Australia.

A whimsical oil painting

of the Canning River by local

artist and Riverton Baptist

Community Church member Nick

de Garis sold for $550 through a

silent auction.

Between quiz rounds Cam,

formerly a lecturer in agriculture

at The University of Western

Australia before moving to

Lichinga in Niassa Province,

spoke about Mozambique

agriculture methods and the

connection with poverty, culture

and adopting new ideas.

“We see people from the West

come and try to bring change

without understanding culture

and worldview,” Cam said.

“Some development agencies

don’t cope well with curses,

ancestors and spiritual protection.

Perth mission

“We need a paradigm

shift – AMUC is a unique

opportunity to begin exploring

what that means and to

engage in issues of mercy and

justice on a personal level,”

Steve said.

To apply for AMUC, visit

www.suwa.org.au/amuc-2016

Kath described some of her

cultural learning about poverty,

health care and extended

families that she gained through

friendships with local women.

Cam, Kath and their children

Jack, Tilly and Sydney, plan to

return to Africa in late January

2016 to continue working as

part of the Global Interaction

team with the Yawo people. Now

fluent in Portuguese, Cam and

Kath will continue learning the

Yawo language as they establish

their family in Massangulo, 94

kilometres south of Lichinga.

Before their departure they

need to increase their annual

family support by $30,000.

For more information on how to

support the Beecks, visit

www.globalinteraction.org.au/

support/workers

5newsDECEMBER 2015

Jesus – the game changer

“Whether you are a Christian

or not, intellectual rigor and

integrity demand that we

acknowledge the foundational

place of Christian belief in a free,

open, liberal democratic society.”

Jesus the Game Changer

follows on from Olive Tree

Media’s award-winning

apologetics series, Towards Belief,

which has had more than 5,000

copies of the DVD sold around

the world.

The new series includes

interviews with academics,

theologians, researchers and

speakers where they discuss

the difference Jesus’s teaching

and His influence through

Jesus the Game Changer is due to be

launched in mid-2016.

“The teachings of Jesus have

made a huge difference to the

moral fabric and foundation to

western societies around the world,”

Karl explained.

“Not only Jesus’s teachings and

values, its Jesus’s life that transforms

lives and has transformed nations,

communities and people,” he said.

Former Australian Deputy Prime

Minister, John Anderson affirms

the importance of understanding

how Jesus has influenced

Australian society.

“There are many in our society

who want to ignore our Christian

heritage,” John said.

the lives of people, including

William Wilberforce and Dietrich

Bonhoeffer, has made through

the centuries.

Since filming began in

October they have recorded ten

interviews in the UK. In Oxford

Karl spoke with Joanna Vitale

whose research work for her

recently submitted Doctor of

Philosophy focusses on women

in the New Testament.

The last UK interview was

filmed in Bath with Jonathan

Hill, an atheist who has written

extensively on the growth and

positive impact of Christianity

in the areas of education, health,

care for the poor, development of

reason and science as well as the

voracity of the historic Jesus.

Eight more interviews were

filmed in Australia during early

November, including two in

Melbourne with Ridley College

Principal Brian Rosner and

economist Ian Harper, exploring

the topics of money, generosity,

giving, stewardship and how

Jesus has been a game changer

in these men’s lives.

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Jill Birt

Game changers are recognised in sport, industry and marketing as altering the outcome of an event or project. Karl Faase and the team at Olive Tree Media are currently filming interviews for a TV series about one of the most influential game changers in history: Jesus Christ.

The production team travels

to Asia in December followed by

Canada and the USA to complete

filming another 16 interviews by

January 2016.

Award-winning Hollywood

Director Simon Hunter is working

on this production with Karl Faase

and the Olive Tree Media team.

For more information, visit

Jesus the Game Changer

Facebook page for updates on

progress of the series.

Karl Faase being on location in London filming his new TV series.

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Young adults look for answers

Governor presents awards to Girls’ Brigaders

Kathleen Bryant

Perth Young Adults (PER YA) provided a forum for answers to questions we all have about life, faith, love, work, pain, friends, church and the future, held at Kennedy Baptist College, Murdoch in mid-October.

Terry Hicks

The Governor of Western Australia, Her Excellency Kerry Sanderson AO presented four girls with the international Queen’s Award and eleven girls the national Pioneer Pin at the Girls’ Brigade (GB) 2015 State Presentation, held late October at North Beach Baptist Church.

Young adults from across

Perth, plus a few older people,

heard from a world-class line-up

of speakers and communicators:

Hank Fortener, Jason Jaggard and

Jamin Goggin from California.

The unique conference

format of worship, seminars and

workshops, TED-style talks and

Q&A sessions with the speakers,

challenged the young adults to

explore options, find their next

steps in life and relationships, and

use their gifts and talents to make a

difference in their world. It provided

an inspirational and challenging

time for all the participants as well

as practical next steps.

tasks, a project and six months of

community service.

When presenting the Queen’s

Awards, Her Excellency asked the

girls questions such as “What did

Girls’ Brigade teach you about

leadership?”

Girls delighted attendees with

their thoughts on GB, community

service and faith. Attendees

described it as an inspiring event

with girls sharing what GB has taught

them and their plans for the future.

Out of the 15 girls being

presented with awards, ten girls were

from GB Companies conducted in

Baptist churches.

The inaugural Perth Young Adults (PER YA) provided a unique opportunity for young adults across Perth.

Girls’ Brigade State Award recipients with Her Excellency the Honourable

Kerry Sanderson AO.

Questions such as, “What if there

was a way to make sure we head

in the right direction and answer

those nagging questions that

hold us back?”, “What would we

do if we were free from the fear

of failure?”, and “Nobody sets out

to fail. Everyone desires to win.

But, why do we so often settle for

something far less than what we

hoped for in our lives?”

Girls are required to meet

set requirements to gain the

awards. Pioneer Pin recipients

must complete two leadership

courses, three achievement

awards, and six months

service in their GB Company.

Queen’s Award girls need to

have obtained their Pioneer

Pin, completed two initiative

Feedback from the young

adults was very positive: “I

don’t want this day to ever end!

I have been challenged in so

many areas of my life.” “I feel

like I now have the language to

describe what I have thought

and been experiencing for a

long time.”

PER YA is coordinated by Lead

Different with a team of young

adult leaders from churches

around Perth and there are plans

to establish it as a yearly event.

6 newsDECEMBER 2015

21st Century spiritual formation

The Capacity Builders group

conducted by Baptist Churches

Western Australia met with

Jamin for a teaching session

and mini-spiritual retreat

that participants said they

found both challenging and

refreshing.

A larger group from a

wider range of churches and

denominations met at Vose

Seminary to spend the best

part of the day on a retreat; an

intentional decision to set aside

time and space to learn how to

‘be’ with God.

Jamin taught the participants

that God is not our neurotic

fixer, but that He knows us fully

and loves us completely and

unconditionally. Jesus didn’t die

for the cleaned-up me, but the

weird me! We do not transform

ourselves, but God does. We

begin at the cross on our knees

and we stay there.

“We like shortcuts, but the

way forward for spiritual growth

is the realisation that without

Christ we can do nothing,

absolutely nothing,” Jamin said.

Jamin showed that we have

a frenetic, restless culture,

trying to be productive,

managing our life, and finding

Jamin Goggin taught about spiritual formation while visiting Australian churches.

our identity in our work. Our

culture defines rest as an escape

or detachment from real-life

and responsibilities, like a

holiday on the beach at Bali. But

deep rest for our soul is abiding

attachment with Christ in the

midst of our messy reality. Life

in God is a life in rest. Jesus does

not offer answers. He offers us

Himself. The deepest truth of our

identity is that in Christ we are

God’s beloved children.

After a time of teaching,

Jamin sent the retreat

participants outside with

written guidelines to find a

place for a time of prayer and

reflection. One of the youngest

participants later said it was the

most life-changing teaching and

experience he’d ever had, and

that he wished he had brought

more people to the event.

People are able to buy

Jamin’s book Beloved Dust at

Koorong and online.

Lead Different plan to bring

Jamin Goggin back to Australia,

including Perth, next year.

To register for future Lead

Different events, including this

one, visit www.leaddifferent.org

Kathleen Bryant

Saddleback Church Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Pastor Jamin Goggin travelled from California to visit churches in Brisbane and Perth in October to teach and experience spiritual formation in the 21st Century.

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Inglewood celebrationInglewood Community Church

are celebrating the opening of

their new church building on

Sunday 6 December at 10am at

10 Cleveland Street, Dianella.

For more information, visit

www.inglewoodchurch.org.au

LeaversBaptist Churches Western

Australia again operated the

Entertainment Zone at Leavers

in Dunsborough from 23 to 26

November, in conjunction with

the WA police and other support

agencies. The 130 Green Team

volunteers did an excellent

job caring and supporting

approximately 6,500 leavers.

Historical Society afternoon teaA plea for more people to join

the Baptist Historical Society

Western Australia and for a

suitable person to become

the Archivist was made at the

Baptist Churches Western

Australia Annual Assembly.

An afternoon tea will be held

on Sunday 13 December to

discuss the future of the Baptist

Historical Society Western

Australia and conduct the

Annual Meeting. All are invited

and welcome. It will be held at

South Perth Baptist Church

at 2.30pm.

The delay in holding the Annual

Meeting has been due to a lack

of personnel. If you can possibly

come and enjoy afternoon tea

and the discussion, we would

value your input.

Street chaplainsPray for the Street Chaplains

in Northbridge, Fremantle,

Joondalup, Busselton and

Bunbury as they take on the

vital ministry of working in

the nightclub districts, offering

compassion and pastoral care to

people, particularly on Boxing

Day and New Year’s Eve.

briefs

Employment Opportunity

Finance Manager We are seeking a professionally qualified and experienced Accountant to lead the finance team and oversee all aspects of our financial activities across the Baptist Churches of Western Australia operations and ministries.

You will be able to demonstrate both your technical abilities and also how you can use your business and communication skills to meet our organisations needs.

You will also love to serve and deeply share our Christian values and ethos.

If this excites you and you want to join a great team @ the BMC, please make initial contact with Greg Holland on 08 6313 6300 or greg.holland@baptistwa.asn.au to discuss this opportunity further.

7newsDECEMBER 2015

Dinah motivates for long haul

Motivated by a concern for

children in extreme poverty, the

group gave up their time and paid

their own expenses to take part

in the ride covering a distance

of over 520 kilometres from

12 to 17 October.

The cyclists were supported

by a hardworking support crew of

eight people.

The funds raised from this

year’s ride will help build dry

pit latrines and shower rooms,

reducing hygiene and sanitation

related diseases for around

4,500 people in Bule Hora and

Yirgachefe, approximately 450

kilometres from Addis Ababa, the

capital of Ethiopia.

The ride had extra significance

for participants this year as they

had the opportunity to spend

time with Dinah Awiti, a former

Compassion sponsored child who

travelled with the team for the first

couple of days of the ride.

Former Compassion sponsor child Dinah Awiti with Relationship

Managers from Compassion in WA, Rodney Olsen and Geff Gomez.

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Born into poverty in Kenya,

the youngest of six children,

Dinah’s father died when she

was just two years old.

Hope grew when Dinah

became a Compassion

sponsored child. She received

educational opportunities,

medical care, life skills

training, mentoring, food and

spiritual guidance.

After finishing high

school, Dinah was accepted

into Compassion’s Leadership

Development Program and

studied a Bachelor of Arts,

Gender and Development

Studies at Kenyatta University

in Nairobi. Dinah aims to work

with the destitute and those

vulnerable to gender violence,

passing on the hope that she

received through Compassion.

One of the ride organisers,

Compassion Australia Relationship

Manager Rodney Olsen said

Twenty-two Western Australian cyclists raised almost $48,000 by riding from Albany to Perth in the 2015 Ride for Compassion.

that the reality of what the ride

could achieve really hit home for

the team.

“We had opportunity to

spend time with someone who

went from being among the

poorest of the poor to being a

voice for the poor,” Rodney said.

“Dinah went from

hopelessness to a life of hope

through Jesus Christ.”

Compassion is Australia’s

second largest child sponsorship

organisation and is part of a

global network of both funding

countries and 26 developing

countries that is Compassion

International. Together they

are a Christian holistic child

development organisation

committed to working in

partnership with local churches

to foster the development of over

1.7 million children living in

extreme poverty. Around 100,000

of these children are currently

supported by over 75,000

Australian sponsors.

Plans are already underway

for Ride for Compassion

2016. If you are interested in

participating in you can contact

Rodney Olsen on 0412 177 307.

Christmas celebrations

Austin Cove Community ChurchChristmas Eve Service

Thursday 24 December

Supper from 6pm and service from

6.30pm to 7.30pm

Inlet Boulevard, South Yunderup

A small gift for the children

Collie Baptist ChurchChristmas Block Party

Saturday 5 December, late afternoon

Corner Princep and Elouera Streets, Collie

Bouncy castle and a spit roast for neighbours and

the community

Harmony Baptist ChurchChristmas Carols

Saturday 12 December, 4pm to 6pm

34 Fairlight Street, Mosman Park

Sing carols and share a light dinner together in the

church hall at this family friendly event

Riverton Baptist Community ChurchCarols on the Shelley Foreshore

Sunday 13 December

Kids and youth from 5pm, sausage sizzle from

6pm and carols from 7pm

For more information, phone

Steve Moore on 0430 853 814

Scarborough Baptist ChurchCarols by Candlelight and Family Fun Day

Sunday 13 December

Family Fun Day from 5pm to 6.30pm followed by

Carols by Candlelight from 6.30pm to 7.30pm

158 Brighton Road, Scarborough

For more information, phone 08 9245 1491

Yangebup Baptist ChurchCarols Night

Saturday 19 December

Sausage sizzle from 6pm and carols from twilight,

approximately 7.30pm

6 Mainsail Terrace, Yangebup

Join in a traditional Christmas carols evening

Bring folding chairs or rugs to sit on grass

Sausage sizzle, hamburgers, soft drinks, safe

‘candles’ and ‘glow’ bracelets available. Part

proceeds to support local YouthCARE chaplains

All welcome to this alcohol free event

For more information, phone 0419 961 966

8 DECEMBER 2015

feature

Perth recently played host to more than 120 delegates from the national Baptist community as they gathered for the Baptist Care Australia Annual Conference, themed ‘Daring Greatly’.

As this year’s host, Baptistcare WA

took the opportunity to showcase

Perth and organised a highly

successful two-day conference

at the Hyatt Regency. Inspired

by Brené Brown’s bestselling

book Daring Greatly, presenters at

the conference urged everyone

in attendance to address the

challenges they face as service

providers and advocates for

the disadvantaged people in

the community with courage,

humility and determination.

Baptist Care Australia is the

national peak body of Baptist

aged care and community

service organisations, all of

which play a pivotal role in

ensuring the needs of some of

the most vulnerable people in our

communities are met.

Each year the national

conference attracts the leaders

and decision-makers from

these service providers

and churches

around Australia, including

CEOs, executive directors,

board members and senior

management. The conference

is a much anticipated annual

forum when all participants have

the opportunity to hear from

world-class speakers, participate

in strategic groundbreaking

discussions and policy

development, and share industry

expertise with their interstate

counterparts.

Baptistcare (WA), Baptist

Care (SA), BaptistCare (NSW and

ACT), Baptcare (VIC and TAS)

and Carinity (QLD) and Baptist

Care (NT) are among the largest

providers of aged care, disability

and mental health services

in Australia and contribute

substantially to the economic,

physical and spiritual wellbeing

of our communities. Through

community initiatives and

programs such as residential aged

care, meals for socially

vulnerable individuals

and families,

housing and

training programs

for refugees and

disadvantaged

youth, and

chaplaincy services, they provide

support to 12,000 people and

housing to over 6,000 older

Australians annually.

A series of pre-conference

masterclasses were hosted the

day before the official conference

at Baptistcare’s Support Services

Office in Belmont. Topics focused

on ‘Keeping the Faith in Faith-

Based Care Organisations’

and ‘An Introduction to

Collaborative Leadership’, which

representatives from Perth’s

churches and schools were

invited to attend.

The conference provided

a showcase of international,

national and local WA speakers

who collectively and individually

unpacked the three streams of

Mission and Service Delivery;

Economics and Philanthropy;

and Advocacy and Humility.

Delegates heard and engaged

in stimulating discussions

with high profile speakers from

a range of sectors across the

five keynote speeches, seven

workshop sessions, three panel

discussions, four short bite

presentations and one debate.

Attendees were fortunate

to have Martin Laverty (Royal

Flying Doctor Service CEO) speak

on the importance of mission

and service in our regional

communities; Frank Quinlan

(Mental Health Australia CEO)

posed the challenge of raising

the bar for mental health care in

Australia by investing in early

intervention and prevention;

and Professor David Gilchrist

(Curtin University’s Not-for-

Profit Initiative Director) spoke

on economics in the not-for-

profit sector.

Professor Ralph Martins AO

(McCusker Alzheimer’s Research

Foundation Director of Research

and Chair in Ageing and

Alzheimer’s Disease at Edith

Cowan University) expressed the

urgency of addressing the needs

of people living with dementia.

“If dementia were a world

economy, it would be the 18th

largest in the world. Spending on

dementia will surpass any other

health condition by the 2060s,”

shared Professor Martins during

his presentation.

Professor Martins also praised

the conference for the thought-

provoking ideas discussed.

International Economist and

Senior Editor of financial website

The Automatic Earth, Nicole Foss

spoke about the global economic

situation and the opportunities for

us all in the future. Her predictions

as a futurist were confronting

but had the room engaged and in

conversation after the presentation.

Stimulating workshops on

social justice advocacy and

faith were presented by Baptist

World Aid’s Scott Higgins

(Senior Consultant and Advisor)

and Gershon Nimbalker

(Advocacy Manager).

“We need to create narratives of

hope. Social justice activists can tell

you everything that’s wrong with

the system but we need to actually

be able to paint a picture of what

the alternative looks like,” said Scott

during his address.

“Organisations like Baptistcare

have the expertise to identify these

positive alternatives.”

CEO and Founder of Dreamfit

Foundation and 2007 WA Young

Australian of the Year, Darren

Lomman delighted everyone

with stories about how his

organisation has developed into

helping people with disabilities

make their lifestyle dreams

come true through customised

design solutions.

Delegates reported that the

conference dinner was a real

highlight where guests were

treated to spectacular views

of Perth’s skyline at Fraser’s

restaurant in Kings Park and

encouraged by Phil Glendenning’s

(Edmund Rice Centre Director

and Refugee Council of Australia

President) inspiring speech on

the responsibility of faith-based

organisations and churches to be

advocates and speak out for those

without a voice.

Carolyn Kelshaw (Baptist Care Australia Executive Director), Frank Quinlan (Mental Health Australia CEO), Phil Glendenning (Edmund Rice Centre

Director) and Rev. Dr Lucy Morris (Baptistcare WA CEO; Baptist Care Australia Chair) at Baptist Care Australia’s national conference.

‘The Transformation of Aged Care’ panel discussion with Martin Laverty (Royal Flying Doctor Service CEO), Professor Ralph

Martins AO (McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Director of Research), Cam Ansell (Ansell Strategic Managing Director),

and Rebecca Tomkinson (Baptistcare WA Chief Operating Officer).

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9DECEMBER 2015

feature

Wrapping up the conference

was a theological debate on the

hypothetical question “Would

you employ Jesus?”, facilitated

by Karen Siggins of Lesmurdie

Baptist Church and featuring

Rev. Dr Lucy Morris (CEO of

Baptistcare WA), Stephen Hall

(Leader of Mission and Service,

Baptistcare WA), Rev. Keith

Jobberns (National Ministries

Director, Australian Baptist

Ministries), Rev. Olivia MacLean

(General Manager Mission

Development, Baptcare VIC &

TAS), Don McPherson (Manager

Chaplaincy and Mission Services,

Queensland Baptists’ Community

Service Organisation), and Allen

Sibley (General Manager of

People & Strategy, BaptistCare

NSW & ACT). The intriguing

topic provided a fitting end to the

conference, especially when the

question was flipped to consider

whether Jesus would employ

them to carry out his mission,

providing an opportunity

for everyone to reflect on the

previous days’ discussions.

Chief Operating Officer

of Baptistcare WA, Rebecca

Tomkinson was MC for the

conference and made sure that

everyone kept to time, skilfully

facilitating all presenters and

following with many insightful

comments and questions

throughout the conference.

“The event was stimulating

and inspiring, I enjoyed meeting

all the world-class speakers

and keeping everyone to time,”

said Rebecca.

“It was a fabulous conference

and I am so proud of the

team involved.

The conference attracted

big name sponsors including

Samsung, Baptist Financial

Services, Baptist Insurance

Services, HESTA, Arjo Huntleigh,

Bunzl, Hewlett Packard, Mirus

Australia, Logicalis, Vivir, Acetek

and Austco. Samsung drew

many visitors to their exhibition

stand with their virtual reality

headset and other technology

innovations for aged care and

people living with dementia.

Baptistcare WA CEO and

Baptist Care Australia Chair,

Rev. Dr Lucy Morris said that

everyone really enjoyed the

event, and it is a credit to this

organising committee.

“The conference was a

world-class event – professional,

thoughtful, interesting and

challenging, engaging and

relational,” she said.

“Baptistcare can be justly

proud of their commitment, hard

work, creativity, and organising

skills. It was a great week.”

Next year’s event will be

hosted in Melbourne and all

delegates agreed the Perth 2015

‘Daring Greatly’ Baptist Care

Australia Conference has raised

the bar in terms of themes,

speakers and sponsors.

‘The Transformation of Aged Care’ panel discussion with Martin Laverty (Royal Flying Doctor Service CEO), Professor Ralph

Martins AO (McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Director of Research), Cam Ansell (Ansell Strategic Managing Director),

and Rebecca Tomkinson (Baptistcare WA Chief Operating Officer).

2007 WA Young Australian of the Year, Darren Lomman has helped people with disabilities through the

organisation he founded, Dreamfit Foundation.

Rev. Dr Lucy Morris (Baptistcare WA CEO; Baptist Care Australia Chair Australia) delivering the opening address

at Baptist Care’s national conference.

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10 DECEMBER 2015

news

Ugandan murderIslamists are suspected of the

murder of Samson Nfunyeku,

a Christian evangelist who led

many Muslims to Christ. His

body was found close to his home

in Kibuku District, Uganda after

he had taken part in a church-

organised debate with Islamic

scholars. The discussion had

to be cut short after tempers

flared. Islamists threatened

Samson after a similar discussion

four months ago. “They gave

a warning that such debates

were not good for Muslims,” one

participant told Morning Star

News. At his funeral, a church

leader commended Samson

for his courage and passion in

sharing his faith with Muslims for

more than 30 years.

Porn shutdownThe Australian Christian Lobby

(ACL) reported that Hyatt Hotels

recently joined the Marriott group

and Hilton Hotels and Resorts

in removing all on-demand

pornography in guests’ rooms

worldwide. “These moves indicate

a significant cultural shift as more

companies refuse to profit from,

or facilitate, sexual exploitation

of women in particular,” ACL’s

spokesperson for the dignity of

women, Wendy Francis said.

“The corporate world is showing

the way in this cultural shift on

human dignity.” ACL believes the

Federal Government should put

internet service provider filtering

of pornography back on the table

so that children can have access

to a clean internet feed.

Mosul refugeeSister Hayat, 30, lived a sheltered,

spiritual life in a Dominican

monastery near Mosul, northern

Iraq. She took care of the

children in an orphanage and

taught anthropology at the local

university. In 2014, Islamic State

fought their way into Mosul and

the Dominicans were forced to

flee. She expected to return soon,

but the military strength of the

Islamic State continued to grow.

Most of the tens of thousands of

Christians that fled the Mosul

area in 2014 are still stuck in

refugee camps in the area. Sister

Hayat is now helping in a refugee

centre in Erbil.

Thai prison visitsHope Behind Bars Inc, is a group

of volunteers from Australia that

support Thai prisoners through

visits and writing letters to

penfriends. In November the

group visited Thailand’s top

security prison where they held

an inspirational church service

bringing hope to the 99 men

who attended. Thai pastors led

the service and baptised five

men during the visit. Western

Australians Ellen Broerse and her

daughter Nicole were part of the

team again this year.

international briefs

Seed harvest brings hope

Unlike a monetary loan system

which lends cash, Cents for

Seeds lends women, who are

some of the poorest in Uganda,

30 kilograms of seeds, supplies

a handheld gardening tool and

educational workshops with

the goal of increasing resilience

across the communities where

the program runs and relieving

poverty.

Love Mercy Foundation,

an Australian not for profit

organisation registered with

the Australian Council for

International Development

(ACFID) began working in

Uganda in 2009. Cents for Seeds

was one of their first initiatives.

Currently they are working with

11,000 women and have a goal

to engage with 20,000 women

by 2020.

Love Mercy Foundation CEO

Caitlin Barrett was studying for

a degree in International Studies

and Development when she

met Australian Olympian Eloise

Women carry home the seeds loaned through the Cents for Seeds program in Northern Uganda.

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Wellings in 2009. Eloise was part

of a group that launched Love

Mercy Foundation after returning

to Australia from visiting

Ugandan Olympic runner Julius

Achon’s home area where she

saw the devastating hardship

caused by the Lord’s Resistance

Army. (See page 16 for more of

Eloise’s story.)

“Our goal is to assist the

communities of Northern

Uganda to improve health, food

security and nurture resilience,”

Caitlin said.

Cents for Seeds is supported

by individuals and groups across

Australia who give $30 a month

to the community changing

initiative.

Women are loaned 30

kilograms of seed – rice, sesame,

peanuts or beans. Harvest is

usually about 150 kilograms.

They return 30 kilograms to

the Cents for Seeds program

and are free to store, sell or use

the remainder.

Jill Birt

Cents for Seeds, an agricultural loan program working with women in Northern Uganda, is bringing significant changes to village life.

Sophia, the secretary of

Cents for Seeds in Barr village,

Northern Uganda reflected

that life for women before the

program started was very difficult

as they were dependent on their

husbands or the government for

everything.

“This program has changed

our lives and relieved this

school fees, improving our health

and other small things,” she said.

Love Mercy Foundation also

sponsors a fun run in Sydney

each year to raise funds. Caitlin

said they would love to start a fun

run in Perth to raise funds for the

Foundation and ultimately their

goal is to have a fun run in every

Australian capital city.

frustration as it give us women a

role to play,” Sophia said.

“Now we received the seeds,

plant the harvest and then

provide for the family. The seeds

can be used as food for the family

or sold to pay for school fees.”

“The program is so important

because it is helping to eradicate

poverty and famine, helping with

From Mozambique to Perth Jill Birt

Global Interaction volunteers Scott and Bek Falconer and their children are on home assignment from Mozambique and are looking for invitations to visit small groups or churches in Perth to share their experiences, or even offers of coffee and conversation and play dates.

In Mozambique their reputation in

the town of Massangulo, in Niassa

Province where they lived has

changed over the last few months.

Stories going around the town

said they were ghosts who live on

a mountain. More encouraging

feedback they have been hearing

from their Yawo neighbours and

others is that ‘they are part of

our community’ and ‘they care

about us’.

“We’re really encouraged by

this change. Coming to the end

of our first three year term we’re

excited about the ground work

that has been laid and what God

will do in the future,” Bek said.

Scott and Bek Falconer and their children recently returned to Perth after

three years working with Global Interaction in Mozambique.

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Over the past few months

the Falconers have been meeting

with various government

directors about the greatest needs

of the people in their area. An

opportunity opened up for them

to partner with the government

and local community to expand

a village school to accommodate

the growing number of children

attending.

As well as being part of their

local community, the Falconers

shared they have a strong desire

to see the Yawo develop a deep

knowledge of God’s hope and

see the reality of His freedom in

their lives. They would love to

see a distinctive and vibrant faith

community among the Yawo in

the future. 

To contact the Falconers,

phone Pam Gallagher on

6313 6300 at Global Interaction’s

Perth office.

11newsDECEMBER 2015

Reaching the Vadar people

Dynanesh and wife Joycee are giving their lives to reach the Vadar – the rock breakers of India, one of the

lowest caste groups in the nation.

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8,000 flee Aceh Jill Birt

World Watch Monitor reported Christian churches in Indonesia’s Aceh province are being dismantled following more than a week of religious violence during mid-October.

Jill Birt

In 1995 Dynanesh was the first person in India’s Vadar population to meet Jesus and have his life transformed. Today there are more than 5,000 Christians meeting in more than 100 simple churches among the five million Varda people.

Based in Pune, four hours south-

east of Mumbai, Dynanesh and

his wife Joycee live in a one

bedroom flat with their two

teenage daughters, mentoring

and training leaders and

coordinating strategy to engage

the Varda people across the city

and country.

The Vadar were known as the

rock breakers of India, one of the

lowest classes in Indian society.

Today mechanisation has forced

a change to their working lives

and the Vadar now work in

construction. Deeply entrenched

in Hindu religiosity and despised

or ignored by the majority of

Indian culture, alcohol abuse is

an issue for many Vadar people.

am not a Vadar and my family

have been Christians for four

generations – I lived with a lot of

freedom,” Joycee said.

After months of learning

about the culture and listening

to God’s Spirit, Joycee gave up

eating beef.

“I discovered that a Hindu

Varda person would never even

drink a cup of water in our home

if someone in the home ate beef,

so I gave it up,” Joycee said.

“It wasn’t the easiest decision,

but I sensed strongly that God was

asking this of me.”

Together Dynanesh and

Joycee prayed from 9.30am to

12.30pm Monday to Friday for four

years before they saw the first fruit

on making disciples among the

Varda.

One of the first people to meet

Jesus was a lady they prayed for

who had a heart condition and

was subsequently healed. Today

there is still a small house church

that meets in that home in Pune.

“Another thing we learnt was

to discover what the Varda believe

about God,” Dynanesh said.

“As we did this it opened doors

into other areas of life.”

“We saw alcohol was a big

issue.”

“The Varda are rock breakers

with hearts of stone, but we’re

seeing God change their hearts to

be soft and open to him,” he said.

... it opened doors into other areas of life.

According to a local church

leader Rev. Erde Berutu, “around

8,000” people fled the area

crossing into the neighbouring

province of North Sumatra.

Muslim residents had

demanded that unlicensed

churches in the area be pulled

down, citing a lack of building

permits, but religious and

political figures, including

Christians, agreed at a meeting

on 12 October to close the houses

of worship.

Police started tearing down

the churches with axes and

sledgehammers on 19 October.

Indonesia has the world’s

largest Muslim population,

although Aceh is the only province

to implement Islamic sharia law.

The national government had

granted Aceh autonomy as part of a

2005 peace agreement that ended

decades of separatist violence.

The agreement was signed eight

months after Aceh was devastated

by the 2004 tsunami.

“Even though I am a Vadar,

we needed to know more about

Vadar culture, so we spent the first

three years learning about what

the Vadar like and don’t like and

how their communities work,”

Dynanesh said.

For Joycee there were some

significant personal choices. “I

12 DECEMBER 2015

in conversation

You co-established The

Fathering Project. What

prompted you to establish

this organisation?

Firstly, I wrote a book about

busy dads [Fathering from the

Fast Lane], which arose from my

experience talking with men

who were dying because I had

to break bad news to them in my

role as a lung doctor. They often

told me that they regretted not

spending more time with their

kids, so I wrote a book to help

dads in the early stages of being

a dad to work out how you can

get around a busy life and spend

time with your kids. It turned

into a best seller so we set up

The Fathering Project to try to

multiply that around the country

so we could help all dads be

better dads.

Tell us about the work of

the Project.

Our strategy is to go out to

various groups, particularly

schools, and we talk about how

to be a good dad. In each school

we form a ‘Champion’ Dads’

Group, which sustains the ideas.

They run events, show videos

and help other dads. This makes

it effective and sustainable. We

also do this in workplaces and

community groups. In addition,

we have tips on our website and

a weekly email that goes out to

dads, and we have lots of other

resources: we have videos and a

series of books. That is basically

the strategy and it seems to be

working pretty well.

There are lots of before and

after stories of men whose lives

have been transformed. And,

before and after stories told by the

mother who has seen the kid’s

father transformed by having

been involved in The Fathering

Project, and they love it.

Please give some examples of

how The Fathering Project has

impacted people’s lives.

I’ll just pick one example; a

guy came up to me after one of

my seminars – a big guy, Aussie

bloke, with his ‘tradie’ shirt on

and he said, “look, thanks very

much for your seminar, I came

a year ago, that was pretty good

so I thought I’d come this time

as well.” And he shuffled around

on his feet and he said, “actually,

to be honest, your seminar a year

about being compassionate

and kind to patients. I’ve tried

to speak to groups of people,

like last night [City Bible Forum

event], about science and

suffering and help people realise

that no matter what people say

out there, neither science nor

human suffering is an argument

against Christianity – at least,

not a strong argument.

What are the biggest challenges

in your Christian walk?

I get pretty worn out

sometimes, doing all the things

that I do. I do struggle, at times,

to find the right ‘nest’ – be it a

home group or church because

as an academic and a scientist

I’m used to thinking originally

and authentically; it is hard to

be exposed to too much dogma.

I need to be around thinking

people and I’m not being

critical of different Christian

environments, but it’s sometimes

hard to be in environments that

are nurturing in that way. It is

hard to find environments that

are appropriate for that sort of

brain configuration.

As a medical professional,

how does your Christian faith

impact your career?

I think that it has meant

that at every stage, with every

decision that I’ve made, I’ve

tried to understand what it is

what God might want from me.

So, for example, when I went

to do a doctorate in the United

States, not everybody agreed

it was a good thing to do, but

I did it because I had a sense

that God wanted me to do it.

And then, later on there was a

position that became available

that lots of people told me I

should apply for – a particular

leadership position. But, I had

a strong sense that I should

not. My faith has meant that I

probably ‘zigged’ when other

people thought that I should

‘zag’. But also, it has meant I have

a different view of people.

I don’t do medicine for money,

or power, or fame. I do it because

I try to find out what the right

thing to do is, and get on and

do that.

In conclusion, is there anything

you would like to add?

I was asked the question

last night [City Bible Forum

event], which I think is a good

one, “Why am I still a Christian?

Is there anything in medicine

enough to make me want to

dump Christianity?” And, it

Fathering from the fast lane

is the ‘bit mad’ answer. I am

a Christian because I’m a ‘bit

mad’. B – I – T: Because it Is

True. At least it is a reasonable

explanation for things, but

equally importantly, it Makes A

Difference. There is no doubt

that being a Christian makes

a difference. Being a genuine

Christian makes a difference to

parenting. It makes a difference

to marriage relationships. It

makes a difference to friendship

and work and all sorts of things.

It’s not necessarily where you

are, it is where you start from.

So, it makes a difference in any

individual’s life. People who

know what someone was like

before [becoming a Christian]

can see the difference. Just

being able to live in grace and

understanding how to be a

parent and a partner, these are

deep and profound things that

you don’t have to be a Christian

for, but Christianity puts you

way ahead.

For more information, visit

www.thefatheringproject.org

ago completely transformed my

life. I used to be a workaholic, I’d

come home, spend an hour in the

office, never engage with the kids,

but some of the things that your

Project told me to do, I’ve been

doing them. Now I come home

and I play with the kids, and I take

them with me on the weekends

when I go to Bunnings, I didn’t

bother with it before,” he said. “And,

what used to happen, when the car

got into the driveway at night the

kids would be watching TV and

wouldn’t pay any attention to me

and I’d just walk past and go into

my office. Now when the kids hear

the sound of the engine and the

car in the driveway, they run out

and throw their arms around me.”

This is quite poignant I think.

It is beautiful to hear.

What are you working on at

the moment and what are your

aspirations for the future of The

Fathering Project?

The Fathering Project has

been very successful in WA and

our aspirations for the future are

quite simple – we want to be in

every school in Australia with a

‘Champion’ Dads’ Group and lots

of resources. If we do that, then

kids will have much better input

from fathers and father figures

and that will markedly influence

the wellbeing of our children

into the future, their risks with

things like substance abuse,

crime, depression, suicide, bad

behaviour – all those things.

What do you think has been

your greatest contribution to

God’s Kingdom so far?

I don’t know if I’ve made a

great contribution, but I think

I’ve been someone who has

tried to be a good Dad himself

and I think that is important.

I hope my kids see my life

as a Christian as a life that is

attractive to them and hasn’t

put them off Christianity – it

seems to be the case. I think as

parents you can make kids into

‘moths’ and ‘cockroaches’. Moths

are attracted to the light and the

cockroaches run away from it.

I hope we have made our kids

into ‘moths’.

I think The Fathering Project

has been a great community

service. In my role as a doctor,

I do a lot of teaching and I try

to make medical students think

Professor Bruce Robinson AM is a lung specialist, Professor of Medicine, Director of The Fathering Project, Western Australian of the Year (2013/2014) and WA Australian of the Year (2014) and is recognised as a world leader in cancer immunology and asbestos diseases. He recently spoke at the City Bible Forum event, Life in Perspective, at Perth Town Hall, and The Advocate spoke with him following the event.

Professor Bruce Robinson AM has a vision for every school in Australia to

have a ‘Champion’ Dads’ Group.

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Want a better holiday?Follow my Dad’s advice

The reason for the seasonexpectations may overwhelm any

joy they might feel.

I don’t enjoy being a ‘downer’,

but neither do I desire getting

swept up in the craziness. Rather,

I have been challenged of late to

focus more intentionally on how

my family ‘do Christmas’ and

make it a season to look forward to.

Most significantly, I have

been challenged by the words

of Moses about the legacy I am

leaving. After faithfully sharing

God’s commands and promises

with the Israelites, he said, ‘These

commandments that I give you

today are to be upon your hearts.

Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at

home and when you walk along

the road, when you lie down and

when you get up.’ [Deuteronomy

6: 6-7]

How well am I impressing

God’s word, wisdom and truth on

John C Maxwell

In the lead-up to Christmas, I suspect that you might be spending some time with family. I’ll be spending a lot of time with my wife, our kids and grandkids in the days before Christmas.

3. The high road, where I’ll treat

you well regardless of how you

treat me.

When I was younger, I

watched my Dad consistently treat

people well, no matter what. Often

that meant he treated them much

better than they treated him. As

a young person, I sometimes

wished that he would exercise his

rights more. But he didn’t. Instead,

he consistently travelled the high

road in every relationship. He gave

way. He let things go. He forgave.

He loved people anyway.

I didn’t understand how

valuable that habit modelled by

Dad was as a young person, but

now I see the wisdom. When

you treat people better than what

they deserve, you don’t carry

emotional baggage. Taking the

high road allows you to let go and

move on. It involves acceptance

and forgiveness, and loving

someone enough to treat them

better than they might deserve.

A lot of people can’t progress

because they’re loaded with

emotional baggage. They carry

grudges and disappointments

and hurts. Everyday they’ve got to

travel with that luggage, but they

can’t travel far due to the burden.

Esther Murray

It’s that time again – and I have to admit that at times it has filled me with dread.

The pretty lights are twinkling,

the Christmas trees are blinking.

The jolly, dressed-up Santas are

spreading Christmas cheer. We

Three Kings and Silent Night fill the

parks, while ‘merry melodies’ tell

tales of elves and presents, sleighs

and snow, and of course ‘Rudolph

with his nose so bright’.

Occasionally, among the

commotion, we find a picture of

serenity: Mary, Joseph and their

baby sitting quietly, watching the

crowds file past. Those crowds

search shelves and fill trolleys from

stores overflowing with hams,

puddings, candy canes, tinsel and

toys. The credit cards are ‘maxing’,

the party catering is in full swing,

and the kids are dreaming of

bigger and better ‘things’.

This is Christmas – the ‘silly’

season. It’s supposed to be an

exciting time – a delight for the

senses – but over the past few

years it has not really been a

season I have looked forward to.

I have resented the copious

amounts of money poured into

‘stuff’ we don’t really need, and the

narrative about Santa (‘He knows if

you’ve been bad or good ...’) that is

so opposite to what Jesus offers in

His gift of grace. Perhaps for some,

the disappointment of not being

able to meet cultural or family

When you take the high road,

you don’t have baggage, because

you’ve chosen to let go of it. There

were times when I put up with

poor treatment. That’s okay. I carry

no grudges, have no scores to

even. I have found that taking the

high road is worth it.

I’ve learned that when you hold

a grudge, it’s actually holding you

down. While you’re holding that

grudge, the person you’re holding

it against could be out having a

good time. They might be moving

on, but you’re not. Taking the high

road allows you to move on, even

when others haven’t.

Over Christmas, you’ll

probably be interacting with

the hearts of my own children,

both in my words and my actions?

For this Christmas season, I

am praying for God’s wisdom,

strength and courage to ensure my

family stays deeply focused on the

wonderful gift of Jesus – not just

the baby born, but the Son of God

who came to give us life.

As we reflect on the love

Jesus poured out on us, I desire

to find creative ways (that don’t

buy into the consumer frenzy)

to see beyond ourselves and

make it a priority to reach out to

those around us. Perhaps – in a

practical outpouring of love – our

family, neighbours and world will

see more clearly the message of

Jesus amidst the other cultural

distractions.

I hope that this Christmas

can be a joy and a delight as we

celebrate Jesus – the real ‘reason

for the season’.

I consider myself incredibly

blessed to have a family where

we unconditionally love each

other, but I recognise that not

everyone experiences the same

blessing. For many people, the

holidays can be extra stressful

because of the complicated

relationships that come together

over Christmas dinner. People

are different, even in families

that love each other, and

conflict can arise over even the

smallest things.

There’s lots of great advice

out there about handling

relational conflict over the

holidays – from setting healthy

boundaries to sharing feelings

kindly but honestly. I’d like to

share one behaviour that my Dad

modelled in my family, and that

I’ve done my best to demonstrate

in all my relationships ever since.

It’s made the difference in my

friendships, my marriage, and

my parenting. My dad advised to:

Always travel the high road.

In every interaction, there are

three roads that we can take:

1. The low road, where I’m out to

get you,

2. The middle road, where I’ll

basically treat you as you treat

me, and

Esther Murray writes for the

online network Kin Women. She

and husband Clive have three

young daughters and worship at

Como Baptist Church.

people you love, but who are

very different from you. Conflict

will come up. Old wounds may

get ‘poked’. In those moments,

that’s when you have a choice:

Which of the three roads will you

take? Do you respond to negative

comments in kind, or do you

choose to be kind?

I can tell you that my Dad

would tell you that taking the

high road is worth it. It’s allowed

him to ‘travel light’ and go a

lot farther in creating great

relationships than many of us

will ever dream of. Take the high

road with the people around

you, and you’ll have a lighter

journey. It’s just might help you

experience the best holiday

you’ve ever had.

Copyright 2015 The John

Maxwell Company. Articles

accessed www.johnmaxwell.

com may not be reprinted or

reproduced without written

permission from The John

Maxwell Company, except for

brief quotations in critical

reviews or articles.

14 DECEMBER 2015

news

Editor: Terry HicksManaging Editor: Andrew SculthorpeSubeditor: Maclain BruceProduction: Vanessa Klomp Creative: Hayley Emmett Catherine BartlettAdvertising: Sally PhuDistribution: Sally PhuEditorial deadline: 5th of each month

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING:Email: editor@theadvocate.tv advertising@theadvocate.tvMail: Baptist Churches Western Australia PO Box 57, Burswood WA 6100Tel: (08) 6313 6300Fax: (08) 9470 1713

PUBLISHERS GENERAL DISCLAIMERAll the articles, comments, advice and other material contained in this publication are by way of general comment or advice only and are not intended, nor do they purport to be the correct advice on any particular matter of subject referred to. No reader or any other person who obtains this publication should act on the basis of any matter, comment or advice contained in this publication without first considering and if necessary taking appropriate professional advice upon the applicability of any matter, advice or comment herein to their own particular circumstances. Accordingly, no responsibility is accepted or taken by the authors, editors or publishers of this publication for any loss or damage suffered by any party acting in reliance on any matter, comment or advice contained herein.

The Advocate is published on behalf of Baptist Churches Western Australia by imageseven. Tel: (08) 9221 9777 Email: info@imageseven.com.au

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’Tis the season for community

in the open space, sharing

a meal together while the

children happily run around in

anticipation for Christmas Day,”

Tam said.

Local governments and

community organisations also

enthusiastically partner with

their local church to provide

Christmas carols for the public.

Stirk Park Carols team leader

Karen Siggins said her team is

a very ecumenical group made

up of pastors and others from

various local churches.

“Not only do local churches

get involved but so do local

schools and other community

groups,” Karen said.

“This year the Kalamunda

Youth Swing Band will provide

the music and accompany the

schools’ choir, [the] SES helps

with parking and safety, local

community radio station sends

the event to air live and replays

it on Christmas morning and

the Shire supports it as well,

both financially and with

volunteers and official presence

on the night.”

To find a local carols event near

you, visit www.98five.com/diary

98five Music Director Chela Williams

As another year prepares to close, most local churches are busily arranging events during the Christmas season. A standout event on the calendar is undoubtedly the Christmas carol concert with the sentimental singalong gatherings providing the local church an unapologetic chance to share the heart of Christmas.

it any different from going to a

concert?,” Ryan said.

It’s for this reason many local

churches place great importance

and pour voluminous resources

towards these events.

Event coordinator of the

Pines Christmas Festival Tam

Jones explains the events are

opportunities to create a bridge

between the local church and

the community.

“What we have loved seeing

in the past is that families

come down with their picnic

blankets or chairs and just relax

The Pines Christmas Festival is one of many Christmas carol concerts around Perth.

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Tanya Piotrowski

True North Church Carols in the

Park’s vocal director Ryan Clune

fervently shares there is no

Christmas without Christ.

“Anyone can go [to] a carols

event and sing songs, but if

you don’t hear about why those

songs even exist, then how is

15DECEMBER 2015

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N J E YP P O E

H A R I S QC I F E R E

Z O L S D T S U O T N S M P Y P P A H NH R M E H E L H T E B P E Y H B I Q Q T

D D O Y I E L B A T S H N T Z R H PO L L J O H N X I T E D T I X Y

N E R D L I H C A L D K S GK G Y D D X D R H P F E

I O E N S V I C M T I U W CF V Y Y A N B O K E T I M E

P C H R I S T M A S B S S A A RX M P Z S M T B E P S T E R

M J A N Q Y O M P Q I R D YN E M R B N W A A U

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10. RMAY

11. TSRA

12. IMENESW

13. NIGK

14. FLOCSK

15. LENAG Answers will be published in next month’s issue of The Advocate.

AngelBethlehemChildren

ChristmasDonkeyEgypt

EscapeHappyJohn

Joseph

JudeaMaryMen

MessiahPresents

StableStar

StrawWise

Get festive and find Christmas words listed below in the diagram.

The words appear horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backward.

Answers to the Feeding the Five Thousand crossword in the November 2015 issue.

intermission

This voucher entitles you to 15% off your next purchase in store at Mount Lawley

The Advocate – December 2015

Reviews by Koorong Mount Lawley

Assistant Manager

Dorothy Waddingham

Website: www.koorong.com

Address: 434 Lord Street, Mount Lawley

Phone: 08 9427 9777

listenread

Open Heaven / River WildHillsong

From the time Hillsong released ‘O Praise

The Name (Anástasis)’ but was yet to

make an album I waited in anticipation, a

triumphant song and a great opener to this

new album, Open Heaven/River Wild. Let

heaven wash over you like a river with the

worship from this album. But even more,

let it inspire you to let the river of God’s

love flow out of your life and into your

world to bring life to all around us and to

light the way to the Kingdom. This is what

we are called to do and this is what Hillsong

are doing through their music. Available

on CD or DVD and in a deluxe version with

both, you can also get the music book to

take it into your church or just enter deeper

into the experience.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Nabeel Qureshi

An amazing biography of a man earnestly

seeking the true God, Seeking Allah, Finding

Jesus takes you on a personal journey

through the eyes of a devout Muslim. Whilst

growing up in the west, Nabeel Qureshi

questions his own faith, searching for

answers and asking God to reveal Himself.

Nabeel tells his story with knowledge and

insight for an engaging and challenging

journey into Christianity. He shares insight

into living in a Muslim home and then

the heart-wrenching decision made from

discovering the truth of Jesus. Nabeel’s

testimony helps Christians understand how

to reach out and talk with Muslims through

his own experience and challenges us about

God’s heart for everyone.

SimplifyBill Hybels

Simplify is highly recommended and a great

book for anyone who feels overwhelmed,

overworked, restless, or exhausted. Written

by Bill Hybels, author and pastor, Simplify

is a book to help you clean out your inner

world to live the fulfilled life God intended

you to live. It aims to reveal what is most

important in your life with many examples

of what a fulfilled life looks like and how

you can make it a reality. With practical

steps, Bill Hybels slowly works through each

area of your life, helping you understand

what to focus on, what may need to change

and how to go about the change in a

very encouraging way. This book is for

anyone who wants to move from not just a

simplified life but to a satisfied life with God.

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16 DECEMBER 2015

news

Lane change for Olympian

Eloise Wellings runs in the 5000m race at the International Association of

Athletics Federations World Championships in Beijing in August this year.

Eloise Wellings uses running to assist her passion, Love Mercy Foundation.

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“My friend Lisa never gave

up on me and I started to learn

about grace and to love myself,”

Eloise said.

“I felt I had lost my identity

when I couldn’t run.”

Eloise missed the Athens 2004

Olympics and suffered another

stress fracture to miss the Beijing

2008 Olympics.

“Missing Beijing was

devastating but while I was at a

rehabilitation centre in Portland,

Oregon, I met Julius Achon,

from Uganda.”

Julius had been a child soldier

in the Lord’s Resistance Army

before returning to his village.

He started to run and proved

to be very good, becoming a

national champion and later a

Ugandan Olympian.

He was part of the Ugandan

Olympic track team and

carried the Ugandan flag at the

Sydney Olympics.

Hearing of the plight of his

war torn village and Julius’s own

traumatic story inspired Eloise.

She visited Uganda in 2009 and

then was instrumental in starting

the Love Mercy Foundation, a

group set up to support the people

of the area as they returned to

their village following years in

internally displaced people camps.

During the London Olympics

she wrote Love Mercy Foundation

on the palm of her hand and

raised it to the TV camera filming

her as she was introduced

to the crowd and television

audience. The image went global

and interest in Love Mercy

Foundation spiked.

Running has been a passion

for most of Eloise’s life. She

has represented Australia at

the London 2012 Olympic

Games in the 5,000m and

10,000m events, placed fourth

in the 5,000m at the Melbourne

Commonwealth Games in 2006

and competed in the 5,000m

(sixth) and 10,000m (fifth) at the

Delhi Commonwealth Games

in 2010.

Alongside these highlights

there have been agonising

seasons of injury. Eloise has

suffered 11 stress fractures

during her running career.

After qualifying for the

Sydney 2000 Olympics as a 16

year old school girl, Eloise’s

hopes were dashed when a

stress fracture sidelined her

from the event.

She isolated herself to cope

with her deep disappointment,

but a new friend at school

pressed in and invited Eloise to

church. That was the beginning

of the transformation of her life

and worldview.

Love Mercy Foundation has

become a personal passion for

Eloise. She visits Uganda each

year and uses her running

in charity events to raise

awareness and funds for the

Foundation.

“By running I’m not just

realising a childhood dream

anymore, but this is for

Uganda, to help Julius and his

community,” she said.

Her disciplined life impacts

far more than the physicality of

being a runner.

“It’s a daily decision to remain

close to God.”

“I have to do the work to

remain at the top of my running,

but I have to let it go. Not to

control it all. I have to give it all to

the Lord.”

During a visit to Perth to

promote Love Mercy Foundation

in October, Eloise ran with the BT

Run Club in South Perth.

For more information, visit

www.lovemercyfoundation.org

Jill Birt

Australian long distance runner and Love Mercy Foundation co-founder Eloise Wellings has qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the 5,000m event. She expects to also qualify for the 10,000m event in early December.