- The Victorian Conference - Seventh

SEPTEMBER
2012
IntraVic
How can anyone put his faith in Christ if he’s never
even heard about Him? How can he hear about Him
if no one tells?
Romans 10:14 (Clear Word)
The
Heartbeat
of your
Church
IntraVic Newsletter - a publication of Victorian Conference Communications
September 2012
Conference Wide
Regional Meeting
October 27
at Gilson College
450 Taylors Rd, Taylors Hill
Mel Ref 13 A8,C8
Troy Fitzgerald
Author and Chaplain for Walla
Walla College
Special music by Ali and
Leighton Heise
Come and see our college in the North West
of Melbourne, fellowship with church
members from all over Victoria
and Worship our Great
God.
Meal tickets may be
prepurchased by
calling 03 9264
7703 before
October
19, 2012.
Editorial
In Christian Circles, you hear plenty of talk about the need for the Church to be more caring as a community and more relational in how it reaches
the unchurched. Even many of our own could benefit from improvement in the area of caring and sharing as evident after last year’s Church
Health Survey, which revealed that as a whole, Australian Adventists struggle with being able to share personal and ministry problems with each
other - an essential part of community.
We know from many church growth studies that the quality of relationships in a church, essentially its sense of community, has a direct correlation
with a church’s ability to attract and hold newcomers, as well as retain old friends. Scripture tells us that Jesus’ greatest desire for His followers
was that their unity and love for each other would be a witness to the world. “May they have this same kind of oneness so that the world will
know that you have sent me...” John 17:23
Paul expresses a similar sentiment when he says “Make every effort to preserve the unity given you by the Holy Spirit ...” in Ephesians 4:3.
The challenge for most churches is how to facilitate this sense of community. It is essential to create regular sharing times for church members – times
when they feel supported, encouraged and experience accountability. This can occur in activities such as prayer time, ministry tasks and social events.
And it can also occur in Sabbath School.
In this issue we are taking a look at what helps keep the life of the church pulsating - Sabbath School: at how it can contribute to an individual’s
own spiritual growth; enable individuals to care for and be cared by each other; and be a medium for church growth. All of which contribute to
a healthy church.
IntraVic Staff: Editor Pastor Wayne Stanley;Assistant Editor Sherrie Courtney
Contact: SherrieCourtney@adventist.org.au; PO Box 215 Nunawading, 3131; 03 9264 7777
Copy deadline 1st of each Month
2 // IntraVic
Pr Rob Steed
Ministerial Secretary
IntraVic // 3
September 2012
SabbathSabbath
Schools
Steve’s First
By Pr David Edgren
Steve adjusted the ribbon to the current
page and quietly closed his Bible as the
Sabbath School came to an end with
closing prayer.
“We will be meeting in the car park after
church lunch has finished,” Gerald said.
“Marg and I’ve got all the supplies...
There’s enough for everyone to be
involved.”
iStockphoto/fstop123
S
teve* turned to Susan, “Thanks for your prayer, Susan. It was
really nice of you to include me, even though I’m new.”
“We pray for each other every Sabbath,” Susan said, smiling.
From across the circle, Marg said, “We pray for each other every
day of the week!”
“True,” Susan laughed. “Steve, now that you have attended our
Sabbath School class, you can be sure you are being prayed for
seven days a week.”
“That’s really nice,” Steve said. “And on Sabbath I can hear
those prayers!”
Everyone laughed. A few of the Sabbath School members
said their goodbyes and headed into the church foyer.
But Gerald, Marg and Susan stayed back waiting to
see what Steve would do.
“It’s exciting to have a new person in our
Sabbath School,” Gerald said to Steve.
“It sure is,” the ladies chimed together.
Sabbath “Are you guys for real?” Steve
School = laughed. “I’ve been to Sabbath
Equipping
School all my life, but I’ve
A place to grow as
never seen one as caring as
disciples of Jesus and
yours. It’s like you are a
to discover and exercise
family.”
your spiritual gifts.
4 // IntraVic
Susan answered, “It hasn’t always been like this, Steve.” Her eyes
were tearing up, as they often did when she tried to talk about the
past. “Our group made a decision three years ago that we would
never let information rule over relationships.”
“We lost some really great people,” Marg added, “because we let
Sabbath School be about minds instead of hearts.”
“Sabbath School was never meant to be one dimensional,” Gerald
said. Both ladies shook their heads in agreement.
“So, you’ve made your Sabbath School about friendship rather than
study?” Steve asked.
“Oh no,” Gerald replied. “We study like never before. Because we
all feel loved and appreciated, we can’t wait to share what we’ve
learnt during the week.”
“Sabbath School is four dimensional!” Susan laughed, wiping her eyes.
“Four?” Steve asked. “What are they?”
“First,” Susan said, “There’s nurture. Nothing of any use will
happen if we don’t know we are valued and needed.”
“Kind of like faith,” Steve said. “For God so loved the world... The
love comes first.”
“Exactly!”
“The next is local mission,” Gerald continued. “Making a difference
in the neighbourhood. If they don’t know we love them, they won’t
want to know us.”
“Or the God you serve,” Steve said, clearly caught up in their
excitement. “That’s what you were talking about - after lunch - right?”
“Right,” both ladies said together as Gerald nodded.
“What kind of outreach programs do you do?” Steve asked. “They’re not programs, as such,” Gerald replied. “We do
all kinds of things, depending on the day of the week and
the number of people we need. We visit shut-ins, run a soup
kitchen, paint fences, run market stalls, knit jumpers, teach
religious instruction at state primary schools, and much more.”
“Then we bring the stories back,” said Marg, “to Sabbath
School and tell them to each other.”
“Wow,” Steve said. “So, what local project are you doing this
afternoon?”
“Not telling,” Gerald laughed. “You’ll have to come and find out! “I might just do that,” Steve said. “OK, what are the other two
dimensions?”
Susan answered, “Well, of course we have Bible study. That’s
how we know and grow.”
“We have a discussion-based lesson every week,” Gerald
added. “We all study our lesson during the week, so rehashing
the pamphlet day-by-day is not usually the strategy we take.
The teacher for the day leads with a few well thought out
questions and we explore the Bible together.”
Steve was nodding. “I noticed that. It was like a conversation
around a table, rather than a sermon begging for responses. So
that was planned?” He turned to Susan, “I thought you were
just a great teacher!”
“She is,” Gerald said.
Susan shook her head. “No way! Before we started using
questions, I hated taking the lesson. I actually refused to do
it.”
“Most intriguing,” Steve said, rubbing his hands on his knees.
“You guys have really thought this through. So, what’s the
fourth dimension?”
“The biggest dimension!” Gerald said, laughing.
“Bigger than Bible study, nurture and local evangelism?”
Steve chided.
“Ah ha,” Gerald said, pointing at Steve, “you’re on to us. That
is the fourth - only bigger: local evangelism on a global scale
— world mission.”
“You mean,” Steve said, “like 13th Sabbath offering and the
back page of the pamphlet? That kind of world mission?”
“Exactly,” Gerald answered. “More than ever, we live in a
global village. We need to be the ‘good neighbour’ Jesus
challenged us to be.”
“I agree,” Steve said, “but how does that fit into your Sabbath
School group?”
“We get involved with the Adventist Mission focus for the
quarter,” Marg said.
“How?” Steve shrugged. “By watching the Mission
Spotlight?”
“And taking it home with us,” Marg said. “We research that
*All characters in this story are potentially realistic. Any similarities
to people in your church is completely desirable.
part of the world with our children and save our spare change.”
“Then on 13th Sabbath,” Susan said, “we bring our offerings
to the storehouse.”
“You people are full on,” Steve laughed.
“Not really,” Gerald said. “We just take Sabbath School
seriously!”
“That’s cool,” Steve said. “Other than the vibrant discussion
we experienced today. Oh, and that great feeling of being
prayed for. Other than that, have you noticed any other effects
of this four dimensional approach to Sabbath School?”
All three people nodded and started to talk at once. Then
they laughed, paused and looked to Marg.
New
“I’m the head elder of this church,” Marg said. “And I can
World
say, without a doubt, that taking a holistic approach to
Sabbath
Sabbath School has changed our church, our families
School
and our personal relationships with Jesus. We care
more — about everything and everyone.”
Nurture
Susan was nodding. “It’s so true, since Marg asked
E
vangelism
the board to try this new Sabbath School model it
Worship
has changed our church from the ground up. It is a
WORLD
much happier church.”
Gerald took Marg’s hand. “On a personal note,
ever since my wife decided to be the elder for
nurture, Sabbath School has been a true joy.”
“Elder for nurture?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Gerald answered. “I am the lesson
coordinator for our class. I ask people to take
the lessons, or do it myself. But Marg’s
focus is nurture. She leads the first part
of the class each week as we discuss our
lives, needs, struggles and joys. And she
contacts group members who missed
Sabbath School with a call or a card.”
“Each Sabbath School in our church
has the same thing,” Marg said.
Money is available for those
“An elder who focuses on nurture
wishing to transition their
and a Sabbath School leader who
Sabbath
School into a Home
coordinates the lessons.”
of
Hope.
The
only stipulation
“I really like it,” Steve said. “Can I
is that your group agrees to
stay?”
meet
outside of Sabbath School
“We hope you do!”
once a month for a social
time.
The funds are to be used
David is Director of Sabbath School
and Children’s Ministries and he loves
for this social time and any
to share what he has to say through the
local evangelism endeavours
medium of the story
your group embarks upon.
$1000 per year is available
(1/3 from Conference, Union
and local church) to Homes
of Hope groups. Find out
more from a Homes of Hope
brochure or online at http://aucpersonalministries.
adventist.org.au/
homes-of-hope.
IntraVic // 5
September 2012
Sabbath
School
s
at Sabbath
School
take a
LOOK
W here p e ople me e t
t oge t her t o pray,
st udy a nd e nga ge
i n fel lows h ip, or t o work on a sp e c i f ic
t a s k, l ive s a re t ra n sfor me d for Je su s s a id
t h at where t wo or more a re gat here d
i n H i s n a me, He i s t here w it h t he m...
Hensley Gungadoo is pastor for Werribee Church and believes the Sabbath School
class is a vital part of a healthy church. So we have asked him to share with us a
little of what he thinks Sabbath School is about.
They went to
Capernaum, and
when the Sabbath
came, Jesus went
into the synagogue
and began to teach.
Mark 4:13.
The Gospels tell us that Jesus frequented the synagogues on Sabbath, where he made use of the opportunity
to teach those present, to meet people and to heal them and Acts tells us that the disciples continued this
practice.
It is possible that the best modern counterpart to the Biblical synagogue is the Sabbath School class. Today,
most Seventh-day Adventist churches around the world have a Sabbath School class preceding the Divine
Service, with a set of lesson study guides based on a Biblical theme and prepared by the Sabbath School
department of the General Conference.
Historical Background
T
he concept of Sabbath School was introduced to the Adventist Church by one of its earliest pioneers, James White. In 1853, he started his
first Sabbath School in Rochester, America and wrote a series of Sabbath School lessons for a magazine called The Youth Instructor. In
its infancy however, the Sabbath School project was not taken up by many other Adventist congregations and lacked consistency, with lessons
missing for months on end. (Schwartz, 1979:160)
It took fifteen years before Sabbath School found a new impetus under Professor G. H Bell, when he improved the lessons and prepared
organisational plans for Sabbath School. Unfortunately, however, not many people at that time had
the zeal and motivation necessary to make it a permanent feature of their weekly service. (Schwartz,
1979:161)
Until 1877 that is, when a move to strengthen Sabbath School began in California with the organisation of a
state Sabbath School association. Soon Michigan picked up the initiative and in 1878 delegates to the General
Conference session established a ‘General Sabbath School Association.’ (Schwartz 1970:161)
Today’s shift
Sabbath School = Leadership
- Apprentices learn in a
safe environment. Just
as Jesus used his
small group to
train the next
generation of
leaders.
I
t is somewhat amazing to note that when the Sabbath School was introduced to the Seventh-day Adventist church in the
19th century, it happened at a time when most of the churches in America were running Sunday School programs for both
children and adults, yet today most Christian churches running Sunday School programs do so only for children.
Thus Sabbath School in the Adventist Church today is somewhat unique, catering to children and adults, and is so important in our
church culture that it touches a greater cross-section of the Adventist church population than any other activity of our Church. It reaches
the lives of people like no other programs do and the lesson guides are read by more people than any other literature put by our Church, worldwide.
Why is it that Sabbath School has remained such an influential and permanent feature of the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
We can attribute it to many reasons. We could say one factor is its organisational structure, from the local church right through to the General
Conference, which is indeed formidable. Another factor is the popularity of the lesson quarterly. However
I attribute the continuity of the Sabbath School work in our church to the influence, instructions,
The Sabbath School
encouragement and counsel of Ellen White. Throughout her wise and timely counsels, Ellen emphasised
work is important, and
the importance of Sabbath School and a believer’s commitment to its success.
all who are interested
Sabbath School today
Just then there was a man in their
synagogue with an unclean
spirit,
and he cried out,
“Leave us alone, Jesus the
Nazarene! Have you come
to destroy us? I know
who you are – the Holy
One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him:
Sabbath
“Silence! Come
School =
out of him!”
Fellowship Mark 1:23- 25
& Belonging
I
in the truth should
endeavour to make it
prosperous. Counsels
on the Sabbath
School Work p. 15.
f we continue the analogy of the Synagogue
finding a contemporary counterpart in the
Sabbath School, we could say that as Jesus taught
in the Synagogue, the Sabbath School should also be a place where we learn together,
from His word. Use of our Church’s lesson study guides, with new themes each quarter,
encourages daily study of the Bible on topics which strengthen faith and knowledge in
God’s word.
However in the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus doing something more than teaching in
the synagogue, and just as Christ used the venue of the Synagogue to carry out His
healing ministry, I believe that the Sabbath School can also be a place of healing, as
members fellowship and develop relationships, where they are nurtured in a climate of
trust and openness as they share their weekly joys and worries. And as they develop
genuine loving relationships, Sabbath School members can become spiritually
accountable to and for each other.
- “When I spend an
The Sabbath
extended time with another
Finally the Sabbath School class can be a place where souls are
School should be
Christian, my main desire
brought to the Lord. Again Ellen White’s counsel is of great
one of the greatest
is that we know fellowship. I
value here as she says the object of Sabbath School work should
instrumentalities, and
want to hear their story, about
be bringing people to Christ. And indeed, with planning and
the most effectual,
how life is with them, of how
commitment, each Sabbath School class can be effective in
in bringing souls to
they are finding the experience of
community outreach and sharing the good news of the Gospel.
Christ.” (Counsels
following God. I want to share as
on the Sabbath
well, to communicate about my life
School Work p. 67)
Conclusion
and experience. There are times when
I have been down but have come and met
he Sabbath School in its present form offers every church with many opportunities. I am
with the group anyway and have gone
convinced that the it can be an agent of transformation towards a healthier church. It can
away encouraged and inspired to persist
be, not only a place where members grow in their knowledge of the Bible, but also a place where
in life and in following God.”
they grow spiritually and emotionally and a place where seekers come and find their Lord.
T
Hensley Gungadoo
6 // IntraVic
IntraVic // 7
September 2012
Sabbath
School
s
Division
Growth by
Some of you may
remember Pr Rob Steed,
Ministerial Secretary
for the Conference,
interviewing Pr
Hensley Gungadoo
at Elmore Camp last
Easter, where he shared
with us an amazing
Sabbath School story.
From an attendance of at the most 25 adults each week, in just over a year Werribee Church now has an adult Sabbath School
attendance of around 60. During this time the average attendance for the main church service has also increased, from 60 to
around 90 and they have had five people make the decision to be baptised.
S
o how did this come about? By this time, Hensley had been
working with Werribee church for nearly eight years. Praying
for guidance to bring about change, he began to be impressed that
change needed to begin in Sabbath School – that members needed to
start up a new class. He did not reach this decision lightly; as it was
they were struggling to run the two classes already meeting.
When one of his elders agreed to take on the leadership of the third
class, they divided up the two existing classes, and amazingly, not
only did the new class grow, but so did the others!
And the atmosphere at Werribee changed, with a new dynamism
and excitement pervading, with members not just attending, but
wanting to have an active part in Sabbath School. The church now
has five adult Sabbath School classes functioning, as well as three
children’s classes and a teen class.
How did division lead to growth? Hensley attributes some of
the change to introducing a social aspect to the Sabbath School
classes. They tried a number of things before finding what suited
them. Bowling, movie nights? No, for the members at Werribee,
it was getting together over a meal! So they planned barbecues
and birthday parties, and got to know each other socially as well
as within a class context. And little by little the dynamics of the
Sabbath School classes changed, with an increasing awareness of
and focus on those who are searching; seeking, perhaps without
even realising it, a closer relationship with Christ. And as their
awareness increased, class members became more intentional
in finding these people. The socialising provided opportunities
to invite friends along, and the smaller groups meant that when
someone was missing, people noticed and would call to let them
8 // IntraVic
know they were missed. Additionally members of the
classes became more accountable and aware of the
pastoral needs of each other.
“As each new class group gets started, a new
spiritual family begins, creating a new space,”
adds Rob Steed. “A space just waiting to be
filled by newcomers and people seeking,
who find it easier to join a new class than
a preexisting one. So the challenge is to
keep creating new classes.”
Sabbath
school = care
Share each others
“There is a new energy at Werribee
burdens and in this
now,” Hensley concluded. “It is no
way obey the law of
longer difficult to find someone
Christ
Gal 6:2
willing to lead a new Sabbath
School class! People want
Sabbath School
to be involved, they want
= Evangelism
to invite other people
into their homes. Our
“Spiritual workers are needed
members are looking
not only to labour in the pulpit
out for each other
but to do personal work among the
and for new friends.
people. Too much time is devoted
This ministry had
to the churches in preaching. This is
brought renewal
not attended with the best results. The
to the church and
work of the Lord’s ambassadors is to
is something my
organize companies of workers to hunt
leadership team
for the souls who need help.”
and I are very
Ellen White Manuscript Releases
excited about.”
Volume Twelve, page 240
Sabbath
School
s
Schools
4Sabbath
Sabbath School = accountability
- Two people are better off than one, for
they can help each other succeed. 10 If
one person falls, the other can reach out
and help. But someone who falls alone
is in real trouble
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
Resources:
The SS Maximiser Maximise your Sabbath School
with this SPD resource at
www.robsteed.info
Cool
TOOLS
On the General Conference’s website for Sabbath Schools ministry, there is a section
with this title. And that is just what this section is full of – cool tools for developing your
Sabbath school class and taking it forward. If you have spare time sometime, browse on www.
sabbathschoolpersonalministries.org – you may just find the inspiration to turn your Sabbath
School around. Here are a just a few of the stories taken from the tools that can be found there.
M
y
friend
was
visiting a group
The NEW Church by
that was studying Bible
David Edgren
Prophecy. During the meeting
it was obvious that Martha did
not understand the Bible study. At
the end of the meeting my friend was
talking with her and she told him she had
decided to become a Christian and join the
Adventist Church. He was curious because
he knew she hadn’t understood the study, and
he questioned her about it.
There were some things she understood and knew
to be Biblical, she explained, and some that she didn’t
understand, but was confident she would ultimately find them
to be Biblical too as she studied further, because everything
she had learnt so far was rooted in Scripture.
‘Besides,” she added, “these people love me; they’re my family.’
Kurt Johnson (Adapted from What Groups are Really About)
I
watched her walk into our church alone. Sabbath School was
in progress, and the young woman took a seat by herself. She
had a professional look about her and looked to be about 40 years
old. She didn’t seem to know anyone, and no one spoke to her.
Toward the end of the service, she left and after a few moments of
inner debate, I slipped out to try to find her. Several guys were chatting
in the foyer. Yes, they thought they saw her leave. I raced out to the
carpark, but was too late. Sadly I returned to the church. “Did you
guys even talk to that lady?” I asked them. They shook their heads.
“Just so you know, she was a visitor,” I told them. “No one else spoke
to her either.”
Who was she? What was going on in her life that caused her to visit
our Sabbath School, arriving late and leaving early? What was she
looking for? I never did find out... she didn’t returned.
The majority of those who just VISIT our Sabbath Schools are
experiencing some kind of crisis in their lives. And if they don’t
experience some warm connectedness with members when they
drop in, they simply won’t come back. We NEED to connect.
Mike and Dianne Jones (Adapted from Connectors for Christ)
A
s visitors one day, we found the usual Sabbath School
scene. Our teacher, a distinguished-looking man, stood
and with a pleasant smile said ‘Welcome to our class. I see we
have some visitors and we are very glad to see you. Now, we have an
important lesson today and I will need all the time to cover it. So…’
and he launched into his well-prepared presentation.
The next week, at a different church, we expected a similar ritual.
Except that this time the teacher said with a big smile, ‘Welcome, it is
good to see you. I am especially glad to see Liz is back - we prayed
for you. We welcome our guests too. Would you please tell us your
names and where you are from?’ When we finished she continued,
‘We are glad to see the Masons back from holiday. And the Martins
have been absent for three weeks now, who would like to give them
a call?...” When she began the lesson it was with a fascinating short
story that introduced the topic and led into a stimulating discussion
with practical application.
‘What made this week so different?’ I asked my wife as we later
drove away. ‘Caring people,’ she replied.
‘Don’t you think the teacher last week cared about people?’ I countered.
‘Well, I suppose he did – he had put in a lot of work… but a lecture
doesn’t usually meet peoples needs. Today was scriptural, but the
teacher applied it to the life needs of her class members.’
Charles Betz (Adapted from The Caring Sabbath School Class)
I
n four years, one particular Sabbath School over doubled its regular
attendance. Each week the class was divided into three 20-minute
segments. The first designated for prayer and the last for interactive
Bible study, it is the middle segment I want to talk about.
This was the ‘time, money and social ministries’ segment. An
ongoing time ministry this class contributes to was the monthly soup
kitchen they operated. Other time ministries included helping people
move, setting up a free drink stand on a busy hiking and biking
trail, cleaning out a burnt house. Social ministries included Friday
night camp fires, picnic potlucks and games nights. But the money
ministry was perhaps the most cutting-edge ministry, operating
under five premises: it was a participatory process – after all it is not
just the class leader’s money, but the money of the members as well;
first priority was given to the needs presented by the class members;
projects from outside the class need to have a class sponsor to be
seriously considered; the financial help offered was limited and shortterm; and prayer for God’s leading was preferred before deciding to
give. This was an intensely practical ministry and throughout the
four years the class members contributed to 65 different projects,
and this practical approach made Sabbath School inspiring and
‘unmissable’ for many members.
Chris Blake (Adapted from The Little Sabbath School that Could)
IntraVic // 9
News from our Churches
September 2012
our K
A page for
ids
Don’t Let Go!
By Karen Collum
author, mother and wife
“Ready?” asked Daddy.
Samantha didn’t feel ready, but she nodded anyway.
If Daddy said she could do it, then she could. She
felt Daddy’s strong hand on the back of her seat,
holding her steady while she got her balance. She
put her right foot on the pedal and pushed hard,
lifting her left foot onto the other pedal as she began
to move. With her daddy’s hand steadying her,
Samantha pedalled faster and faster. She was riding
her bike without training wheels!
When they got to the end of the field Samantha put
on her brakes and stopped. Daddy clapped.
W
hen Samantha was five, her daddy decided she was ready to learn to ride her push bike without training wheels. She and Daddy walked
down to a big playing field nearby that was flat and smooth and grassy, perfect for learning to ride.
Samantha loved riding her bike. She loved the way the wind whooshed through her blonde hair as she rode and the feeling of riding fast. She
loved the way the ground flew by underneath her tyres as she rode, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to ride without her training wheels just
yet. Her tummy was doing cartwheels just thinking about it.
“Daddy, I don’t think I can ride without my training wheels,” she said.
Daddy smiled. “Of course you can. You’ve been riding your bike a long time now and you’re doing so well. Your training wheels hardly ever
touch the ground. Daddy will be right here running along behind you and I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
Samantha trusted her daddy. He caught her when she jumped off the fence into his arms and he never let her fall, and he swung her round and
round in a circle and didn’t drop her. “Well done! You did a great job, just like I knew
you would. Let’s try again.”
Daddy and Samantha went backwards and forwards
across the field several times. Samantha was having
so much fun she almost forgot Daddy was holding
onto her seat. She pedalled faster and faster each time and needed his help less and less.
As they headed off across the field one more time, Samantha pedalled fast and took off. Daddy’s legs were tired by now, and instead of holding
onto the bike, he decided Samantha was ready to ride on her own. He gently let go of the seat and jogged behind her as she rode off across the
field all by herself.
Samantha was having so much fun flying across the grass on her bike... But then she had a horrible, scary feeling. Something wasn’t right. She
turned to look at her daddy and saw he wasn’t holding onto her seat. Samantha panicked. Instead of remembering how far she’d come all by
herself, she started to think, “I can’t do this by myself. I’m going to fall off.”
And that’s exactly what she did. She stopped pedalling, let go of the handlebars and tumbled sideways onto the grass.
“What happened?” asked Daddy.
“You weren’t holding onto me so I crashed,” said Samantha, frowning and pouting at him.
Daddy laughed. “Samantha,” he said, “you rode all that way by yourself. Look - you started way over there and you came all this way - you
didn’t need me to hold onto you anymore.”
“But I fell off because you weren’t holding me,” grumbled Samantha.
“No,” said Daddy. “You fell off because you got scared. Come on, let’s try again.”
Samantha did try again and she found out that Daddy was right. She could ride all by herself. Even though it was scary knowing that Daddy
wasn’t holding onto her, she could keep the bike in a straight line, pedal and balance all at the same time.
Just like Samantha, sometimes we are faced with situations that are a bit scary. We might have to have an operation or go to a new school where
we don’t know anyone or talk in front of a group of people.
Thinking about how scary something is can make us feel all wobbly inside and we might feel like we’re about to crash, like Samantha on her
bike. But if we choose to think about how big our Heavenly Father is and that He’s with us all the time, we won’t be scared anymore. And when
we’re not scared, we won’t stop pedalling or let go of the handlebars.
God has promised in the Bible to be with us all the time. No matter what scary thing we’re facing, God will be with us. Just like Samantha’s
Daddy was right there behind her, God is right there with us. He doesn’t want us to be scared. Instead, he wants us to try new things with
confidence, knowing that He will give us the strength and the courage we need.
What have I told you to do? I have told you top be strong and full of courage. Dont be afraid. Don’t become discouraged or give
up, because you don’t have to do all this alone. The Lord your God will be with you every step of the way.” Joshua 1:9
10 // IntraVic
IntraVic // 11
News from our Churches
September 2012
A Happy Day
Our Loving God
Casey Adventist Church
North Melbourne Samoan Church
In June, members of Casey met one Sabbath afternoon at Dandenong
Polish Church to celebrate the baptisms of Jessica Rule, Ally and
Luke Bokos.
Together with the members from the Craigeburn Lay Group, the church ran a two week evangelistic series in Thornbury during
August. The theme was ‘A Loving God’.
W
hen I spoke to Jessica about her baptism she said that she wanted
to be baptised to be closer to God and she was looking forward to
continuing her walk with God. Jessica also said that her baptism was the
A happy day for Jessica, Ally
happiest day of her life. She has a favourite quote which she read during the
and Luke and their families
service. “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
When I spoke to Ally and Luke they both had similar stories to Jessica. They both wanted to be baptised because they believed that it was the
right thing to do and they wanted to follow God and have a closer relationship with him. The baptism was followed by a magnificent afternoon
tea.
David Riley and Fraser Catton were both involved with the service and the Bible studies.
Samantha Thorpe
First Youth Fellowship in Victoria
Samoan Adventist Youth
God is good to the Samoan youth groups here in Victoria. Under the guidance of Pr Eddie Erika, we saw history in the making as
six congregations gathered together on a cold winter day in July, at Nunawading Christian College.
W
hat began as one youth group
congregating under the trees at the
Nunawading Campgrounds, here in 2012
we have six groups from Carrum Downs
and North Melbourne Samoan Churches,
Pakenham and Melton Companies and
Sunshine and Craigeburn Lay groups.
youth groups. This was followed by a
creative expression showcase depicting
the daily struggle with the devil and how
to keep focused on the cross, presented by
the Carrum Downs group, and a beautiful
reminder of God’s love in song, by the
Melton and Sunshine youth.
With an attendance of approximately 300,
the Sabbath praise was led by an eclectic
praise & worship team - a collaboration of
vocalists and musicians from the different
Dr Vailele Afoa’s presentation was the
highlight as we delved into God’s word.
One of the most touching points of his
message was presented in a skit of an
Oprah-esque interview with three
young men and a visual of the ‘The
woman at the well’ story - from the
woman’s point of view.
Weather did not stop the outdoor
baptism from going ahead
In a touching minute of silence,
everyone stood in memory of Mrs
Lagi Penese, one of the North
Melbourne mothers who sadly
passed away unexpectedly, earlier
that month. With courage and tears,
her five children sang two special
songs which, in their loss, gave great
comfort.
After Pr Erika’s comforting
words, the sadness was followed
by celebration as Leilani Price
accompanied by her children,
12 // IntraVic
Gerrard and Giselle, dedicated themselves
to God through baptism . The rain did not
deter anyone as the youth gathered around
the makeshift baptismal font outside, to
witness the Price family’s commitment.
Far from the norm in traditional Samoan
meal time, lunch was brief as time was of
the essence! The afternoon was filled with
a plethora of praise, creative expression
showcases and skits. If you had to take
a guess at what heaven will be like, the
Victorian Samoan Youth would agree
that this Sabbath came close. Not only
did it bring the young people from North,
South-East and West together, it fostered
new friendships and acquaintances, laid
pathways for future encounters, introduced
potential relationships and initiated
crushes, but most importantly, showed a
glimpse of what an eternity with God will
be like.
The foundation has been laid for what is
to come for young Samoan people here in
Victoria. It’s in God hands, “For I know the
plans I have for you”, He says. “Plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Fiona Su’a-To’omalatai & Priscilla Su’a
O
ne of the aims of this series was to
promote discipleship as a means
of not only sharing the gospel, but
empowering church leaders to step up and
be proactive in saving souls. So rather
than inviting a guest speaker, the elders of
both congregations presented. This was
somewhat daunting for some, but mentored
and nurtured by Pastor Eddie Erika, they
overcame their feelings of inadequacy and
successfully presented their topics, which
incorporated the theme and dwelt on our
relationship with God and with our fellow
man.
Each session provided a healthy attendance
with an equal number of visitors. Guests
were first treated to powerful praise and
worship, with the team ending each praise
segment with ‘Come, Now It The Time To
Worship’ and a prayer to allow attendees to
open their hearts to the message they were
about to receive.
There was never a shortage of group or
individual items, as members continued
to volunteer their talents. With a different
speaker each evening, attendees received
a different insight into how our Loving
God could make an impact in the lives of
Christians, every session. Some elders
revisited their younger years, telling how
being an Adventist had saved them from
their former selves. They shared jokes and
told stories which made it ever the more
entertaining for the young people who
attended each session without fail.
The evangelistic meetings were conducted
in the Samoan language, and though the
young people would not always understand
what the speaker was sharing with them,
they still managed to get a gist of what was
being conveyed.
The series concluded on Sabbath with
Pastor Erika presenting, summarising
the two weeks and adding his own
interpretation of the theme. This was
followed by the baptism of sixteen
candidates, two of whom were rededicating
themselves to the Lord. There were
many tears of happiness; it was as if, by
witnessing these baptisms, everyone was
undergoing their own sense of renewal,
rededicating their lives to the one true
Loving God.
Fiona Su’a
The elders
who
presented
the series
and the
baptismal
candidates
who
responded
with joy
Reuniting
Casey Adventist Church
One Sabbath in June, members gathered together for a Casey Church reunion.
P
revious members who no longer attend any church were invited to come back and worship with us. Approximately 50 people accepted the
invitation to join us in fellowship and they stayed on for a luncheon fit for a king.
It was great to catch up with some old faces and have a good ol’ chat with long lost friends. The reunion lunch was so successful that we hope
to have another one before Christmas.
Samantha Thorpe
IntraVic // 13
News from our Churches
September 2012
Nadia Widuch helped organise the Prayer Vigil
T
he idea of committing 24 hours to
united prayer as a church was first
planted in the heart of one of our young
people last year. As the idea was shared,
others began to catch the vision. There
was a clear conviction that God was
inviting the church to spend time seeking
and seeing Him revealed.
Prayer Vigil
Too Young to be an Elder?
Wantirna Adventist Church
Lilydale Church
Initiated by the youth of the church, members held a 24 hour prayer vigil in June, the
purpose being to seek a deeper experience of God for the church as a whole. Nadia
Widuch, one of the organisers, reports:
It’s not every young person’s dream to suddenly spring into ministry after leaving
high school. Nor is it often a young person’s dream to straight away become an
elder. In this article, Julia Sherar shares with us her thoughts on being an elder.
At 7pm on Friday June 15, the vision
became reality when the first group of
people entered the prayer room that had
been set up specifically for this purpose.
For the next 24 hours, the room was
constantly occupied with at least two
people and God’s presence was clearly felt
in a unique way. It was incredibly moving
as people came and humbled themselves
before God, seeking Him and His will
for our church. A sense of unity filled
the church as prayer requests were shared
and hearts were opened. Some people
came for their allocated hour and ended
up staying much longer, immersed in the
presence of God.
W
Being a part of this prayer time was an
amazing experience. As I walked into the
sanctuary on Sabbath morning with a few
of the other youth, there was a different
atmosphere. We then realized that our
perspectives had changed.
Spending
significant portions of time with God
had prepared us to experience Him more
fully that morning. Our hearts had been
opened and we were now far more aware
of God’s presence in our church. God is
always there, always present and always
working but often we do not experience
Him until we take the time to be still and
come in tune with Him.
This prayer project was a highlight for
Wantirna Church that was God-driven
from start to finish. It was a time where
we were more closely attuned to God
and His working in our lives and it also
marked a revival in the prayer lives of
many who took part. Our prayer is that
other churches will also catch the vision
and experience God more fully through
prayer.
June 16 was truly a day of celebration for members of Longwarry Church as they
witnessed their first baptism in fifteen years.
friends and family to share the excitement
and experience of Covey’s special day.
Praise God for this momentous event, both
in Covey’s life, and the life of Longwarry
Church.
Peter Hughes
Putting Talent to Use
Wantirna Church
On the afternoon of July 14, Wantirna Adventist Church was treated to a special event by
fourteen year old Stephen-Aveling Rowe.
T
his young lad is a professional performer of both pipe organ and cello and he and his mother,
Merilyn, kept the audience spell-bound with their musical talents. The concert was a fundraiser,
with over $800 raised for the Balolava Clinic project in the Solomon Islands that is supported by the
Jamie Hegarty
Wantirna and Warrnambool churches.
14 // IntraVic
Julia Sherar is an elder at Lilydale Church
prayer, she is now beginning to experience
a living relationship with Christ.
This is why being Elder is the best decision
I have ever made.
Julia Sherar
Pandamanium
It was pandamanium in July when a total of 70 kids found out that God was wild about them.
Longwarry Adventist Church
L
have taken part in many small groups and
in organising church services, but by far
the best experience happened to me not
that long ago.
Through my Bible studies as a YPW I
had become friends with someone who
has no connection what so ever to any
sort of religion. We had studied the Bible
together twice over a year ago, and we
maintained some contact. Then one day
out of blue she contacted me to talk about
some struggles she had being facing. I
kept her in my prayers and in God’s time
she slowly began opening her heart up
to Him until one day she asked if I could
meet with her and tell her more about Him.
All from a simple friendship and a lot of
Lilydale Adventist Church
Cause for Celebration
ike the children of Israel I have
wandered in the wilderness for the
past forty years” was the way Penny Covey
explained her spiritual life before entering
the water for her baptism.
The small rural church was packed with
hen I was asked to be an elder by
my pastor my first thought was
‘Don’t you have to be old to be and elder?’
Oh how wrong I was. I readily felt called
into such a position but I still entered into
it with a lot of prayer. I had already being
a Youth Pastoral Worker for a year with
Lilydale Church when this life changing
event occurred. There were many doubts
that arose in my mind as I realised just
what it meant to be an elder. I feared that
I was two young, having being only out of
high school for one year. But like a close
friend had always told me; God can open
doors no one can open and close doors no
one can close.
So far in my endeavours as an elder I have
being able to help show God to people. I
R
un as a vacation Bible school,
the Pandamania team catered for
children aged between 3 to 12 years old
and of those who came to Pandamania, at
least 20 were unchurched.
It was hard to choose just one highlight
for the children who attended Pandamania
each day. There was face painting, party
time sing and play featuring the band (no,
make that the PAND), Bible Adventures
and Missions, Treetop Treats, Craft and
Play, Games, Chadder’s Theatre, Rowdy
Wrap Up and a talking and singing Panda
named Boomer!
A team of more than 35 were involved
in making the program happen, almost
half of them being the church’s teenagers
and their friends who assisted behind the
The Pandamania VBS at Lilydale
was a huge success
scenes as crew leaders or with the music.
As well as singing songs about each day’s
theme, the kids learnt about wild animals,
memorised six new Bible verses and found
out more about Jesus through active Bible
stories. By the end of the week, their
mission challenge was complete: filling
60 tie-dye backpacks with activities for
Aboriginal kids living in Coober Pedy
and The Finke (SA) who have KidsClub
programs, but don’t have many resources.
“There was so many great memories
made, but one of the highlights was seeing
one of our teen volunteers excited to come
every day, some who had hardly been to
church before,” said program coordinator,
Rosie Croft.
“This is the second
consecutive year a VBS program has been
run at Lilydale, and the fabulous team are
already fired up to do another one in July
next year.”
Kym Piez
IntraVic // 15
News
from our News
Churches
Conference
September 2012
End Time Prophecies Seminar
Praising God with a Third Congregation
Preston Church
Gateway
This seminar was launched mid-August and presented by Dr
Georges Latchman.
August 4 saw the launch of Gateway’s third congregation, this one called Gateway West. Gateway first began meeting in the city
in 2003 and Gateway East began in 2008.
C
T
overing both Daniel and Revelation, the series takes a new and
original approach to the topic where the framework of the seminar
is prophetic but woven within its structure are the teachings of the
Adventist Church, with Jesus Christ at its centre.
Salvation history is still the main axis but the focus is Christ and the
objective is soul saving.
The package is broken down in twelve modules independent of each
other so that one could join in at any time and rely on beautifully
prepared handouts to fill in any missing sessions. This also allows church
members to continue to make new invitations.
The first session saw 67 people attend, and the average attendance has
stabilised at around 50 with about 20% of these being non-baptised
participants.
The sessions start at 3pm followed by refreshment in the Fellowship Hall
an hour later. To facilitate attendance at the 3pm program, the church has
planned a number of bridging programs for its members, which are run
after a small shared lunch and include concerts, debates, presentations
and films.
This program will continue into the first week of November, so please
continue to pray for the success of the seminar series in Preston.
From Little Things, Big Things Grow
Hamilton Church
Located in the Western District, this is a small church with an attendance of about 20 each Sabbath. But it is making a big impact!
R
ecently, Maria Franjic, the Women’s
Ministries leader, decided to use her
talent to serve the community and create
friendships. Maria does not always enjoy
good health, but being an avid and expert
knitter, she decided to knit a collection
of baby bonnets and give them to the
Hamilton Hospital obstetrics ward. Each
new baby born in the hospital will receive
a hand-knitted gift with a card, as a present
from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The nurse in charge of the obstetrics ward
was very pleased with the gesture and
happy to pass a gift on to each new mother
in the ward.
Another friendship project the Hamilton
Church has been providing is the monthly
Eating for Heath Recipe Club. This has
been going for almost five years. Each
participant who comes is given a SIGNS
magazine together with the recipes
demonstrated for the evening. They
also learn about health and nutrition
through the health lecture.
In June, Conference Health
Director, Sibilla Johnson, came
and conducted the Recipe Club and
this provided an opportunity to readvertise the program. As a result,
five new participants attended. For
the July meeting, some of these new
participants invited their friends
and boosted the attendance further,
with 23 non-churched members
attending.
We are praying for opportunities to
lead some of these friends to learn
more about Jesus and His love.
Lynette Tung
Maria Franjic with some of
his is a global mission funded project,” says Johny Wong, “and is the culmination of three
years of solid ground work with yearly public evangelism and year round care groups
based on Acts 20:20. Thus far eleven people have been baptised and more are planning to
join our church through baptism after our iDiscover seminar.”
The first day of worship for Gateway West was held at Victoria University in Footscray and
saw 73 people gather together. Please continue to keep Gateway in your prayers, as finding a
suitable location comes with many challenges.
“We praise God for His leading and action in the past, and for what He is now achieving in
the West.”
Gateway’s
new congregation met for
the first time on
August 2
Mission Possible Youth Concert
The Oasis
The youth of Oasis recently had a very chilly experience with public outreach!
O
n a cold rainy day in August, they
gathered in Queensbridge Square,
Southbank to hold a concert in the late
afternoon. There were over 30 youth and
ten adults involved in setting up, singing,
being part of the audience and packing up
gear at the end of the program.
The morning began wet and cold but
praise God for giving us a break from
the rain in the afternoon as we performed
in the outdoor platform,” said Nihal
Samarasinghe. “But we still felt the chill
of the wind that blew from the South
Pole, going right through our winter
attire. It was a learning experience for
all of us that were there. Some youth
were not comfortable to perform in
public and pulled out of the concert.
Others performed but with a lot of nerve
wrecking experience. God willing the
next concert will be a bit easier... and we’ll
have warmer weather!”
A number of the youth engaged in tinrattle fundraising for Mission Possible
Youth mobile soup kitchen that the church
is praying for, and many DVDs, booklets
and tracks were handed out to the public.
Ashley Samarasinghe, the youth pastoral
Mission Possible Youth Concert
Queensbridge Square in Southbank
worker for Oasis was glad to be part of
the program, as was Sebastian Davila,
YPW for Ringwood Church. Youth from
Nunawading, Ringwood and The Oasis
churches all participated in the concert.
Please remember Mission Possible Youth
in your prayers as they plan for next
concert in a couple of months as well as
seeking out other outreach activities for
the youth of our churches. “Please visit
www.mpyouth.org and drop us a line with
your interest, support and ideas.”
Nihal Samarasinghe
at
her knitted gifts
16 // IntraVic
IntraVic // 17
September 2012
News from our Churches
Conference News
Not Negotiable
Pathfinder Expedition
The Oasis
VicYouth
Service and mission is a nonnegotiable for Oasis church member, Nihal Samarasinghe.
“Studying the Word of God, I have learnt that caring for the orphans and widows are
high priority on His agenda,” he says.
Smoky fires, frosty nights, pancakes, singing praises, hiking, taking compass
bearings and listening to The Word - this was Expedition 2012.
O
ver the years, Nihal has involved
himself in a variety of missionoriented activities: from leading a Mission
Possible Youth trip to Asian Aid schools in
India (December 2007 – January 2008) to
engaging with local communities through
music and youth care; from launching his
own eCommerce website PlazaNow.com
to generating funds for projects he feels
called to support. And he enjoys making
the most of these service opportunities.
“At the moment we are praying for a
mini bus and equipment to furnish it so
our church youth have an opportunity to
interact and care for youth who are in need
within our own community.”
With his years of mission-oriented service,
Nihal has many memories, such as the
impact of passionate Asian Aid advocates
Pr. Ron and Nelda Rice and Charles
Pointon in 1984. “I met them when I was
attending Avondale College and ever since,
have had a soft spot for Asian Aid which
has been actively caring for the needy
children in many countries. I admire the
work that they have achieved.”
Helping others is contagious. Even Nihal’s
sons Nalin and Ashley decided to sponsor
a child each when they were on the Mission
Possible Youth trip.
Today, nearly 30 years since his
involvement with Asian Aid began, Nihal
remains passionate about helping the less
fortunate. “I would like to encourage
anyone who can sacrifice $40 per month
to use the money to sponsor a child,”
he says, firmly believing in the positive
long-term impacts of child sponsorship.
His challenge to himself and to others
is to continue giving hope whenever the
T
opportunity presents itself. It’s a humbling
and enabling challenge.
Asian Aid is currently looking for sponsors
for children in Bangladesh, one of the
poorest and least developed countries in the
world, through the Hope-a-Thon campaign
(September 1 to December 24) which aims
at impacting 115 lives for a lifetime.
You can give hope to someone special by
visiting www.asianaid.org.au, liking Asian
Aid on Facebook or calling 02 6586 4250
to sponsor a child.
Sonja Larsen
he annual Victorian Pathfinder
Expedition was held in Wombat State
Forest over the long weekend of June
8-11. It was the biggest attendance seen
at Expedition for a number of years. In all
we had 330 Pathfinders and leaders plus
30 volunteer and staff.
Wombat State Forest is approximately
fifty kilometres east of Ballarat with base
camp located on private property nestled
within the forest itself. With a lot of
Pathfinders enjoying a pupil free day, the
majority of clubs arrived early and were
nicely settled in by sunset on Friday night,
enjoying the atmosphere and surroundings
of their bush setting.
Our theme this year was aMAZEing
Grace which mirrored our activity theme
of The Amazing Race. On Sabbath a maze
was created which the Pathfinders had fun
navigating to discover and decipher key
messages about God’s amazing grace.
Our guest speaker for Expedition was
Chrys Martin from the North New South
Wales Conference. Chrys has had many
years volunteering in youth ministry as a
Pathfinder District Director and leading
STORMCo trips and led out in worship to
both Pathfinders and staff throughout the
weekend sharing stories of God’s grace,
of people who had achieved amazing feats
and who had stood tall for Him.
The weekend culminated on the Monday
with all the Pathfinders gathering around
in full sunshine for a closing worship led
by Chrys. This followed a very heavy
frost first thing in the morning.
H er itage Pathf
R ingwood
All in all, it was another memorable
Pathfinder Expedition.
inder clu b
Pathfin ders
A Part of God’s Family
Calling all Health Professionals!
Filipino-Australian SDA Church
Sanctuary Sanitarium
It has been well over four years since the Brighton Church property was sold, its congregation buying and moving to the
Dandenong church property.
Committed to health & wellbeing, Sanitarium established the Sanctuary Health
& Wellbeing Centre in Pyrmont, Sydney two years ago. It is a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ centre utilising medical doctors and other
health professionals and a visit to the website www.sanctuary.sanitarium.com.au quickly reveals what it is all about; “A unique
medical practice for health and wellbeing.”
F
rom a membership of just over 60 the
congregation has grown to more than
140 names on its church role and the weekly
Sabbath attendance is usually 150 or more, on
many occasions going beyond 200.
There is a distinct Philippine cultural feel
to how the church worships and runs its
services, activities and other fellowship
meetings.
24 people have joined in fellowship,
18 // IntraVic
committing themselves to Christ through
baptism and over 50 have joined by transfers
or professions of faith. It is indeed a thriving
and active church, representing various
cultures such as the Philippines, Zimbabwe,
Sudan, Poland and Fiji, just to name a few; all
are passionate about worshipping and serving
their Lord Jesus Christ.
The church runs a mid-week prayer
meeting every Wednesday night and a
regular afternoon program every Sabbath
which is mostly run by the youth of the
church. Evangelistic seminars have been
held, small groups meet on occasions
and a church members’ nurture program
operates. The youth are active, joining
with adult members as they participate in
‘Soupvilles’, ADRA appeals, STORMCo
trips,
camp/retreat
meetings
and
Conference-run events. Through various
fundraising ventures, the congregation
is able to sponsor a number of churchbuilding projects overseas.
Many members have been involved
in overseas outreach through various
endeavours. Some participated in mission
outreach at Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Belize, Thailand, Cambodia, South
Korea, Indonesia and India. Just recently,
a church-sponsored mission trip to the
Philippines was organized and run, with
the participation of 38 church members and
their families, helping in the running of an
evangelistic campaign and other mission
activities that resulted in more than 300
people giving their hearts to Christ.
This congregation has a rallying theme –
they are part of the family of God – and
each week, prior to the commencement
of the main worship service, they join
together and sing “I’m so glad I’m a part
Mebzar Quinto
of the family of God…”
B
renda Rea, Sanctuary Group Manager
has this to say about this exciting project.
“To date we have delivered over 18,000
consultations/services and with God’s
blessing, are continuing to grow from
strength to strength with new clients
enrolling every day. We are building on our
philosophy of genuine care, whole person
health and integrated services with an
additional emphasis on lifestyle medicine
and the ultimate goal of supporting people to
experience true health and enjoy abundant
living.”
The Sydney Pyrmont Project is the first step.
It is planned to establish Sanctuary Health
& Wellbeing centres in other locations.
The choice of these locations will take into
consideration the domicile of clinicians
and other health professionals who are
philosophically aligned with the mission and
values and have a strong interest in working
with Sanctuary.
Brenda wants to collect a data base of
medical and allied health professionals who
would be interested in being involved in this
initiative. So if reading about this project
has caught your attention, please contact
her on brea@sanctuary.sanitarium.com.au.
In particular, Brenda is looking for General
Practitioners who have a real passion for
integrated lifestyle medicine within the
context of whole person health and genuine
care – who can be, and will be, ‘champions’
of Sanctuary’s philosophy.
There is an immediate need for more GP’s at
Pyrmont as there is increasing demand for
the GP services offered.
So if you are a GP and can see yourself
working in Sydney, here is an opportunity
worth exploring. Brenda would love to hear
from you! Give her a call on 04 1051 8791.
IntraVic // 19
Conference News
September 2012
Happenings at Gilson College
y
Combined Schools Day of Worship
Once again our primary and secondary schools came together for their annual combined day of worship and praise of our great
God.
T
hursday August 16 saw students
in Years 4-6 travel from Gilson,
Edinburgh and Heritage to join
Nunawading students for this special
and spiritual morning program filled
with music, presentations and a talk by
Hayden Petersen. At its conclusion there
was opportunity to make and enjoy new
friendships and catch up with old friends
from the different schools.
The next morning the gymnasium at NCC
received another workout as secondary
students from across greater Melbourne
gathering together for their Combined
Schools Day of Worship.
It was a
magnificent sight to see the students and
staff from our colleges come together to
worship God as one.
The theme for both days was “Keep
Connected”. Pr Mau Tuaoi addressed the
secondary students and he encouraged
them to stay connected to Jesus as the
The Rite Journey
Lilydale Adventist Academy
source of all things. Many students
responded to the call to reaffirm their
connection with God.
Both days were a wonderful success and
we are sure that all students will keep with
them the many testimonies, songs of joy
and school presentations that were shared.
Thank you to everyone involved and we
look forward to another inspirational
program again next year.
Justin Bone and Peter Michalski
he Rite Journey is a Year 9 subject
where a rite of passage can be
undertaken into adulthood.
Facilitators,
teachers, parents, mentors and students all form
part of the process to create more respectful,
responsible and resilient young adults.
Our Year 9 cohort of young adults began
the 2012 school year overlooking a
Melbourne sunrise through wisps of fog
and anticipating a new journey; a journey
filled with mystery and challenge, but
one that would need to leave behind the
child within and step up to becoming
courageous men and women.
As the year has developed these beginning
adults have discovered their identity and
have engraved their story thus far on a
piece of timber, carved out by hand, which
then became a beautiful paddle. The
paddle became an integral part of their
major challenge of the year - Survival
Camp.
This much anticipated event did not
disappoint but challenged many beyond
20 // IntraVic
what they first thought they were capable
of. Four days of challenges awaited, with
all responsibility given to each group
for safety, shelter construction, cooking,
navigation, set up and pack up and the
physical difficulty of staying warm and
dry whilst navigating the Murray River.
Yes, they survived, all of them, and it
was proven once again that when given
responsibility our young adults step up to the
plate and become great men and women.
But this journey is far from over. They
will complete many more challenges
before the year is out and their resilience
will grow because of it. One of the
challenges which will perhaps promote
the greatest result is based on the parable
of the talents in Matthew 25. Each student
has been given a sum of money, which
they are to expand and grow, using skills
learnt in Commerce classes to develop
strategies to grow their funds (one student
has already increased his $20 to $46 in just
two weeks). The group will also complete
fun activities from Book Week. At its
conclusion primary school participated
in the annual Character Parade. Many
students went to great lengths to create
costumes based on their favourite book
character. The primary students displayed
their costumes in the Character Parade
with the secondary students and parents as
their audience.
P
resenting Church: Each
term a class from the primary school
and a class from the secondary school
work together to organise and present
the worship service at the Gilson College
Community Church and this term the Year
2 and 8 classes had the privilege. The
program began with students leading out in
the song service. Then the Year 2 students
performed a play on the story of Moses and
the Israelites. The worship program ended
with five of the Year 2 girls performing a
special dance to the song “There Can Be
Miracles” from the Prince of Egypt movie.
T
he Wonders of Ancient
Mesopotamia:
This term,
Year 10 students are studying the Book of
Daniel. They had the privilege of visiting
this exhibit at the Melbourne Museum
where they saw relics from this amazing
time in history, and were fascinated
to see bricks were engraved with king
Nebuchadnezzar’s name and title. Seeing
actual remnants from history helped
students to realise that the events of Daniel
and his future predications are also real.
Adele Bergmann
B
ook Week: On Friday the 24th
of August as part of Book Week,
Gilson College held the inaugural Open
Classroom morning. All of the classrooms
were opened up to parents, allowing
them to attend school with their child
and parents participated in some of the
The Rite Journey Facilitating a
life of passion
and meaning
This is a fantastic program that has now been implemented in over 40 schools
throughout Australia, New Zealand and the UK. At LA, we have taken this program
and specialised it into a truly dynamic learning tool.
T
ear 6 Canberra Trip:
The Year 6 students were extremely
excited when the day of departure for their
Canberra trip finally arrived. Students
left Gilson College early on the morning
of Monday the 13th of August and were
involved in five days of action packed fun
and learning. The trip involved visiting
many educational and historical places in
Canberra as well as some places just for
fun. Students visited the Old and New
Parliament Houses, the Australian War
Memorial, The Mint and Government
House. This enabled them to learn more
about Australia’s history and how our
system of government works. They also
had an amazing time at the Australian
Institute of Sport, Questacon, Cockington
Green and the Telstra Tower and were
especially delighted to meet the Princess
of Thailand during their trip. They
returned home with lots of stories to tell
their families and amazing memories of
the experiences they had shared.
Edinburgh Adventist Primary School
P
a community service project at the end of
the year. The final challenge will be a “24hour solo camp” armed with nothing but a
bit of food, a rough shelter and all the time
in the world. This will bring together their
experiences of the year into a central focus
“Who am I and what do I believe?”
In the future when life gets hard, because
it will, they can turn around and say with
confidence “I can do all this through Him who
gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13, NIV)
LAA facilitates a life of passion and
meaning beyond the parameters of our
structured society, to produce young men
and women with the confidence, vision and
skills to change the world.
Dustin Dever
otato Olympics: With everyone
talking about and watching the
Olympics, the Year 3 class held their own
Olympic Games – the Potato Olympics!
Each student had their own ‘spudlet’ to
coach, which lived in the Olympic Village
during the games. The ‘spudlets’ competed
in eight events and a number of them
sustained injuries with splits and cracks
among the most common.
L
ightFM: Brandon Green, from
Year 6, applied to LightFM in
response to a promotion the Cass and Kel
show was running.
“All you had to do is tune in on the way
home every night, listen for the cue
and then send a text with your request,”
said Brandon, “and they (Cass and Kel)
would make the YESMS happen during
YES WEEK.” And what was Brandon’s
request? “I asked Kel to come and present
my Olympic School Project to the class.
He texted back saying YES!”
Kel and his crew arrived in time for
assembly Monday morning, and then
spent time in the Year 6 classroom, where
he helped Brandon present the project,
which included a demonstration of how
to throw a javelin. This developed into a
competition between the teacher, Mr Dye,
Kel, Brandon’s dad and several of the Year
6 boys. Afterwards, they had a LightFM
question and answer time.
M
asterChef: Year 3 students
also participated in a fiercely
competitive cook-off. They were divided
into six groups where they worked
together to produce the perfect dip. They
were judged on the presentation, flavour
and teamwork.
IntraVic // 21
Conference News
September 2012
Annual ‘Week of Sacrifice’ Offering
Have you ever wondered why we have this offering every year? Here Pr
Ray Coombe, Division Coordinator for Global Missions, explains how it came
about.
N
inety years ago the Seventh-day Adventist church found itself with a budget deficit
of a quarter of a million dollars. Without money to continue financing mission
projects around the world, church leaders were faced with the discouraging possibility of
recalling missionaries. General Conference delegates prayerfully decided to ask church
members to begin giving a week’s wage in a once-a-year sacrificial offering.
Despite the difficult economic climate of the 1920’s the church responded by
giving over $350,000 to what became known as the annual Week of Sacrifice
offering. The missionaries were able to continue their work, and members were
blessed by the act of personal sacrifice.
Over the years, the Annual Sacrifice Offering has continued, although the average gift is
now significantly less. One hundred percent of the annual Sacrifice Offering now goes to
frontline Global Mission work to establish new churches in un-entered areas.
Did you miss the Annual Sacrifice Offering collected on September 8? It’s not too late to help
Global Mission pioneers bring Jesus to those who have never heard His name. Place your gift in a
tithe envelope marked “Annual Sacrifice” or visit www.adventistmission.org to make a donation.
And thank you for your generous support of the mission work of our church.
Welcome
W
hat do two ministers do on their
honeymoon? Preach, of course! Having
enjoyed our joint ministry in Michigan for 3
years and Hawaii for 10 days, we decided to
extend our honeymoon indefinitely to Melbourne,
Australia. While the transatlantic move has had its
challenges, we are convicted that God has a special
purpose for us here. Since we have individually
worked with small groups, campus ministries,
and urban churches, we are uniting our strengths,
experience and prayers to bring a unique team
approach to our new ministry. Together, we
desire to invite individuals in the inner city
of Melbourne into a saving discipleship with
Him that will surpass and enhance all other
relationships, goals, and world views. We ask
for your prayers and partnership as we seek to
enlarge His territory for His glory.
Month 2012
Sunset times
Bairnsdale time is
10 minutes EARLIER
& at Hamilton
the time is 12
minutes Later
OCT 2012
Sabbath Opening Closing
Sept 28,29 18.22
18.23
Oct 5, 6
18.29
18.29
Oct 12, 13 19.35
19.36
Oct 19, 20 19.43
19.43
Oct 26, 27 19.49
19.50
Daylight Saving
begins October 7
Offering Schedule
Jennifer Brohier (above left) Roy & Jinha (above right)
W
Fruit Friday? - NCC
E
arly Term 3 Nunawading Christian College Primary
students were invited to the Brand Smart shopping centre
to participate in a Christmas in July program where our
students sang and played Christmas carols.
As a thank you each week until the end of term we will receive
a fruit box with enough fruit for every primary student and
teacher in our school.
Thank you Brand Smart, our students really enjoy the fruit and
look forward to Fruit Friday!
22 // IntraVic
Nunawading Christian College primary is seeking the services of an Outside School Hours Care
educational leader (coordinator) for 4th Term 2012. Appropriate qualifications are required,
either a Diploma in Children’s Services or currently enrolled in education (Primary or
Secondary) student. Please contact Peter Michalski on 98789927 or
pmichalski@ncc.adventist.edu.au
Join the Team?
The Victorian Adventist
Communications
department is
looking at building
up a team of
church members
who are interested in
using their creative skills to help us with our
productions, whether it is in presentation, design and
production or recording.
We are not looking at a huge time commitment for any
particular individual, only as much as each is able to
contribute. To this end, the department wants to compile a list
of people interested in helping in a number
of areas, whom we can call
on from time to time.
So if you are interested in
helping us with photography, film
and audio
production, broadcasting,
interviews, presentations or
creative writing please register
your interest by emailing
SherrieCourtney@adventist.org.au
Join our team!
AdventistBookCentre
October Specials
only
$rr1p9$2.49.955
And the glory which You gave me
I have given them, that they may
be one just as we are one. John
17:22
From eternity the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit have been one.
In Jesus’ prayer He calls for the
Church to be one. It’s a big
order we cannot accomplish on
our own. Jesus’ disciples spent
years in His presence but were still not
one until Pentecost.
on
$4.9ly
$26 5
.9
rrp
5
141 Central Road
Nunawading
Hours - 9-5 Mon Thurs and 9-12 Fri
03 9264 7766
Temporary Accommodation
Available
Room for rent in quiet house/
neighbourhood,
in
North
Eastern
Victoria. Would suit professional female.
Please phone 0435 760 469
Giant Book Sale
Next sale at Nunawading Church hall October 28 - mark it in your calendar!
Road To Bethlehem
Let shepherds straw stars and stables
fill you with a true Christmas feeling –
praising God for sending His only Son into
the world to save us. Road to Bethlehem
Is a great place to introduce Jesus to your
friends, family and neighbours. This year
it will run December 10 to 13.
Tickets will become available on the
26th November after which you can
book them by calling 03 9264 7770 or
visiting www.roadtobethlehem.org. To
help us we need volunteers in areas such
as car park attendants, ironing costumes,
greeters, construction team members and
a lot more! We also need arms and legs,
muscles and minds to help with set up and
pack up. There are a myriad tasks, for all
abilities and skill levels, to be done. We
know that many hands make light work, so
come along and help us on these big busy
days, even if you can only spare an hour
or two.
Contact the RTB chairman - Anthony
Henriques on 0414 892 455 to register
your interest area in volunteering.
Dates for the on-site set-up days - Sun 2nd
& 9th Dec.
vicabc@adventist.org.au
Channel 7
Sun 3:30am
Channel 10
Sun 4:30am
Australian Christian Channel (ACC)
Tue 9:30am
HOPEChannel
Fri 7:30pm
(all major cities and some regional areas)
(all major cities and some regional areas)
- Roy & Jinha Kim
e welcome you to Victoria, Roy and Jinha.
We would also like to welcome Jennifer
Brohier to the conference staff. Jennifer is
working as PA to the Ministerial Secretary, Pr
Rob Steed.
Ads & Notices
Educational Leader Wanted
16 // IntraVic
September
29 - Local Church
Budget
(repeat) Tue 7:00pm, Fri 5:00am, Fri 12:00pm
Fri 10:30pm, Sat 8:30am, Sat 12:30pm, Sat 5:30pm, Sun 8:30pm
AEDST. Update at: www.itiswrittenoceania.tv/networks.php
OCTOBER
6 - Appeal Expense
13 - Education/
Camping Ministry
20 - Local Church
Budget
27 - Local Church
Budget
IntraVic // 23
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in a future issue or placed on the Church website. The Editor also reserves the right to exclude Ads or Notices after just one issue.
Please note, commercial advertising is generally not published in Intravic. Accommodation notices, MUST be accompanied with a reference from
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