Building healthy churches.

AUGUST 2016theadvocate.tv

BAPTIST CHURCHES

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

5 The Ingredients ProjectNew program gives people with disability the chance to learn to cook >>

7 Empowering womenFresh Conference support has enabled work with women’s groups in Nepal >>

8 Alpha for evangelismA focus on evangelism in the local church is a constant challenge >>

A church plant from Mount

Pleasant Baptist Church, with

support from Riverton Baptist

Church, Carey was established

under the leadership of Pastor

Steve Izett.

Steve had a vision of not only

planting a church but starting

a school, which would be a

ministry of the church and act

as a conduit into the community.

From the beginning Steve had a

desire to establish community

on the campus with a school,

community centre, and church

all in the same location.

Twenty years later, on the

In 2016 Carey Baptist Church is vastly different from its humble beginnings and had good reason to celebrate its 20th anniversary recently.

original site in Harrisdale, Carey

now has a school, child care

operation, café, community

centre and many other

ministries, all with Carey Baptist

Church at the centre. Also in this

20th year, Carey has planted a

new campus at Forrestdale which

will again grow to be a school,

child care, and community centre

with a church at the centre.

Carey Baptist Church

Senior Pastor David Kilpatrick

said The Experiencing God

course by Henry Blackaby

was very formative in Carey’s

development.

Carey celebrates 20 years

Ph

oto

: S

imo

ne

Jub

b

On Pentecost Sunday 26 May 1996 Carey Baptist Church held its first service in the home of two of its founding members, Peter and Dianne Smith. This year marks the Church’s 20th anniversary –a cause for their recent celebrations.

In Conversation Indonesia’s first supermodel, Tracy Trinita speaks about her Christian faith. PAGE 12 >>

“When someone we admire fails us, the painful emotions trigger questions. Should we stop looking up to the leaders

around us?” JOHN C MAXWELL PAGE 13 >>

“Blackaby noted that we

experience God as He calls us

to become involved in what He

is doing and His call leads to a

crisis of belief requiring faith and

action,” David said.

“That has been very much the

story of Carey, stepping out in

faith and asking God to do what

only He can do.”

The founding statement,

“Attempt great things for God,

Expect great things from God”

was taken from a sermon William

Carey preached before he left

England to go to India and it

has become the motto. The

church was also named after the

pioneering Baptist missionary.

“The story of Carey is not one

of clever people or great plans.

Carey is a story of what God

can do through a community

of people who step out in faith

believing that God can do

anything,” David said.

Today the church has a new

vision: Carey 2020 with two

components: ‘Realising our

potential’ and ‘Positioning for

impact’. Carey has only just built

the first part of its community

centre and commenced its new

campus. Both require a lot of

work to fully develop and the

plan is that this will be done in

the years to come.

“We believe we are called

to continue to grow and

develop new campuses both

in Australia and overseas,”

David said.

“There is much work to be

done to develop the leadership

and organisational capacities to

enable us to do so.”

“The key issue, however, is

not what we can do, but what

God is calling us to do and

whether we will be courageous

enough to follow Him. I

certainly hope we will.”

2 AUGUST 2016

The bystander’s problem

Detectives later determined that

38 of Kitty’s neighbours had

watched her ordeal from their

windows and not a single person

had shouted out or called for help.

Psychologists subsequently

coined a phrase: ‘The bystander

problem’. They concluded that

when many people are present,

we are less likely to respond. The

smaller the group, the higher the

likelihood that we’ll take action in

a crisis or emergency.

This phenomenon has

repercussions for our Baptist

churches and all of us who call

ourselves Christ followers. We

may feel overwhelmed by the

avalanche of pain around us, or

paralysed by the sheer magnitude

of the brokenness in our world.

What could I possibly do to

make a difference? Could my

efforts possibly count? Isn’t there

someone else more talented, more

educated, more passionate, more

connected, more affluent, or more

able who will stand in the breach?

Our tendency to see the

whole and not the parts stifles our

response. The problems are so

enormous, where should we start?

So we don’t. But if we could see

one family and touch one life, we’d

begin the process.

I was overwhelmed with

emotion when I visited Mother

House in Calcutta. Did Mother

Teresa initially set out to found

an order that would establish

hundreds of centres in more than

90 countries with over 4,000 nuns

The brutal slaying of Kitty Genovese shocked New York City in 1964. Her assailant pursued and attacked her three times over the course of 30 minutes before finally stabbing her to death. But something more horrifying overshadowed this sickening violence.

my view

On being a follower …

Following doesn’t mean all that

much. I recently discovered that

I have four Twitter followers,

and that is without ever having

made a Tweet!

There are different kinds

of following. Some are easier

than others. Follow someone

on Twitter, and you get access

to each Tweet they make. Given

that its maximum length is 140

characters, it’s not an onerous

onslaught, and it has turned

‘dumbing down’ into an art

form. Can anything worthwhile

be said in 140 characters?

Apparently yes, but you’ll

understand why those of us with

a preaching background haven’t

been enthusiastic adopters.

We might be followers in

other zones. It’s un-Australian

not to follow a footy team – and

in some seasons that’s tougher

than others. I’d tell you who

I follow, but then half of you

would never read my column

again. And to be honest, given

their track record this season,

I’d prefer not to tell you.

To hammer the point home,

German theologian Dietrich

Bonhoeffer once wrote, ‘When

Christ calls a man, he calls him

“Come and die with me.”’

So who in their right mind

responds to an invitation

like that?

People who want to change

the world – for that’s what those

early disciples did.

If someone invites you to

follow them on Twitter, don’t

agonise too long. The cost is

ridiculously small. But if you

hear Jesus call, count the cost.

You and He could be about to

change the world …

How many people do you follow on Twitter? Don’t feel bad if your answer is in single digit territory, or even zero.

Sometimes it’s best not to own

up to these things.

And then there is following

Jesus. Do you remember His

invite, ‘Come follow me’?

It might seem an innocent

enough invitation, but it turns

out that following Jesus is one

of life’s tougher gigs. Of the

first dozen who signed up for

it, 11 died as a result, while the

12th spent his closing years

imprisoned on the island of

Patmos where he had been

sentenced to forced labour.

Dr Brian Harris is the Principal

of Vose Seminary and Pastor at

Large for the Carey Group.

Dr Brian Harris

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.

Love thy neighbour

It seemed it was a prayer that

God was excited to action! Over

the next few years it was our

pleasure to love and serve three

beautiful families who were in

a time of transition.

Then the house sat vacant and

I prayed.

After a while a Sudanese

Muslim family moved in. Three

little children, a dad with a deep

booming voice and flowing

white robe, a mum in a hijab who

never seemed to come outside.

I imagined that they had fled

violence. I imagined they were

uneducated and didn’t speak

English. I imagined she was

oppressed by … everything.

We started with a waving

relationship, which progressed to

chats on the driveway. I learned

that my prejudice was so wrong,

and I was embarrassed. He was a

diesel mechanic, she was a doctor

studying for her master’s degree,

and their children had been born

in Sydney.

Friendship grew as we spent

time drinking tea and chatting

together. Their little blokes kicked

the footy with my kids, our

husbands rebuilt a LandCruiser

Prado. Casual chitchat soon gave

way to deeper conversations

about marriage, raising children

and prayer. We grew in love for

each other as we spent more time

together and shared the things on

our hearts.

Recently we talked about Jesus.

She told me that she couldn’t

understand that God would kill

His own Son. God is too good for

that, she said. She thinks it wasn’t

really Jesus hanging on the cross

– that His body was swapped

for someone else. I told her God

sacrificed His Son because He

loves us. We didn’t agree.

But the point was not to ‘win’

the conversation. It was about

wanting to understand each other

more so we could love each other

better, just as God commanded

us to.

As I love my neighbour and

open myself up to be loved in

return, and as I continue to speak

gently of God’s sacrificial love,

God will do what only He can do.

Yvette Cherry is the Worship

Ministry Coordinator at

Riverton Baptist Community

Church.

Yvette Cherry

One day I sat on my bed and prayed that God would help me to love whoever lived in the rental across the road. As I said, ‘amen’, the doorbell rang and my new neighbour wanted to borrow jumper leads.

Mark Wilson is the Director of

Ministries at Baptist Churches

Western Australia.

Mark Wilson

and many more thousands of lay

workers? Or did she devote herself

simply to touching the lives of the

poor, sick and dying in the slums

of Calcutta – the ones she met?

While most people squeezed

their hands at the enormous

oppression under the Romans,

Jesus set about bringing liberty

to the captives, one at a time. The

movement took hold as individual

people reached out to others.

What might the Lord do through

our lives if we collectively decided

to invest in a single other life?

Centuries ago, another bystander

asked “Who is my neighbour?”

Perhaps we’ll be able to answer that

question clearly and unequivocally,

and make a difference.

3newsAUGUST 2016

1300 660 640www.baptistcare.com.au

At Baptistcare, we understand no two people are the same.Compassionate, person-centred care is at the heart of everything we do. Whether you are looking for residential aged care accommodation, services to support you in your own home, or assistance with staying active and connected to your community: we can help.

Aged CareSpecialised care at 14 residential aged care facilities; flexible home services assisting people in their own home.

Retirement LivingChoose from nine lifestyle villages in Perth, Albany, Busselton and Margaret River for over 60s.

Community ServicesPersonalised support for people with a disability or a mental illness to achieve their goals and aspirations.

More than care

Baptistcare is one of WA’s largest not-for-profit aged care and community services providers, supporting communities in metro and regional areas for more than 40 years.

New churches for BCWA

Australia through the United

Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees resettlement

program as they were among

the Chin people groups that

were persecuted in Myanmar

by the former military regime.

Their hope is to be resourced in

developing leaders for the future

of their church by joining Baptist

Churches Western Australia

(BCWA).

“We are very excited to be

part of the family of Baptist

churches in WA because this

gospel partnership will help

our church be effective in our

ministries among our youth”,

Perth Siyin Baptist Church Youth

Leader Thomas Thawng said.

The Church regularly meets

at the premises of North Balga

Christian Centre in Balga.

Hosanna Karen Baptist

Church is comprised of refugees

from Myanmar and the majority

speak the Karen language.

Most of the members of

this church have a Baptist

background from Myanmar.

“We wanted to join BCWA

because we believe in the same

purpose, values, vision and

mission, having come from a

Baptist background”, Hosanna

Karen Baptist Church Secretary

Wah Nay Moo said.

The church meets at

Kelmscott Baptist Church on

Sunday afternoons and is led

by Pastor Roman Sein who

led a Karen Baptist church in

Geelong before he arrived in

Perth in 2012.

Many of the new churches

that are becoming part of

Baptist Churches Western

Australia are struggling to find

suitable venues to meet.

“As Baptists, our values

state that we are a generous

people who also value all

people no matter their racial

background. Imagine, what

it would be like if the church

where you worship lived these

values, by inviting a cross-

cultural church to share the

buildings that God has provided

to established churches,”

Reverend Owuor said.

Pastor Dinh Nguyen and Rev Victor Owuor at a recent meeting to

discuss Eternity Christian Church.

BFS growth assists Baptist churches

to Baptist Churches Western

Australia (BCWA) by providing

a grant of $125,168 for the

2015/2016 financial year.

BFS Chief Executive

Officer David Slinn noted his

appreciation for the support of

the BCWA staff, championed

by the Director of Ministries

Pastor Mark Wilson and the

State BFS Relationship Manager

Anina Findling.

“BFS continues to

appreciate the opportunity of

providing financial investment

services and loans to resource

and serve BCWA and their

associated ministries,”

David said.

For further information on the

services BFS provides, please

phone 08 9472 0078.

Baptist Financial Services client funds in Western Australia have grown significantly over the past financial year, exceeding $55 million.

Baptist Financial Services exists

to provide financial solutions

for the development of Christian

ministry across Australia and

has been operating for over

30 years.

Client funds in WA increased

by 30 percent in the past year

and over 70 percent of Western

Australian Baptist churches have

accounts with Baptist Financial

Services (BFS). As a result of

this increase, BFS was able to

increase its financial support

Ph

oto

: Mat

t C

hap

ma

n

Five new churches have been welcomed into the Baptist family so far this year as new church plants.

... this gospel partnership will help our church be effective in our ministries among our youth.

The new churches are Austin

Cove Community Church,

Eternity Christian Church,

Hosanna Karen Baptist Church,

the Midland Community Church

and Perth Siyin Baptist Church.

Baptist Churches Western

Australia Cross Cultural

and Indigenous Ministries

Consultant, Reverend Victor

Owuor, has been working with

three of these churches as they

are cross-cultural ministries.

“I am excited to see them

joining Baptist Churches

Western Australia and I’m

looking forward to them

contributing to our family of

churches,” Victor said.

Eternity Christian Church

is comprised of Vietnamese

families and conducts their

services in Vietnamese. The

church was planted in September

2015 with a view of reaching out

to the Vietnamese community

in Perth.

“There are about 20,000

Vietnamese people who do

not know Christ and we are

committed to evangelising

these people,” Eternity Christian

Church Pastor Dinh Nguyen said.

Eternity Christian Church

currently meets at the Bedford

Bowling Club every Sunday

morning.

The Perth Siyin Baptist

Church started meeting in a

home in November 2006 and

has grown to around 150 in

attendance each week.

Members of the Perth Siyin

Baptist Church were settled in

4 newsAUGUST 2016

08/07/16Dave Kraftdavekraft.squarespace.com

Who are you really working and

living for? It’s so easy to become a

man-pleaser [Galatians 1:10] and

attempt to give people what they

want instead of what they need.

09/07/16Stephen McAlpinestephenmcalpine.com

I believe we are in a time when

the younger generation of

leaders in the church can begin

the process of building and

strengthening God’s future

people by acting like first

generation migrants.

10/07/16CS Lewistwitter.com/CSLewisDaily

All that is not eternal is eternally

out of date.

10/07/16Michael O’Neiltheologyandchurch.com

The life of the children of God

transcends the bounds of this

life. Its primary concern is not

its own fullness in this world,

but the hope of seeing God

and being transformed into

His likeness.

11/07/16Michael Cooperlifeway.com

God might take us through the

‘how long oh Lord’ times so we

can embrace the ‘it is good to

praise the Lord’ moments with

renewed affections. You aren’t

alone in your calling. Other

brothers have been there. More

importantly, Christ is with you.

12/07/16Tom Feltenourdailyjourney.org

Paul told Timothy to fix his

eyes on Jesus, the ‘King of all

kings and Lord of all lords’ [1

Timothy 6:15]. In Him we find

the strength to rise above the

challenges of today.

12/07/16Max Lucadotwitter.com/MaxLucado

Mercy prompted the Samaritan

to bandage the wounds of the

victim. Grace prompted him

to leave payment for the

victim’s care.

13/07/16Sera McCullochwritesomething.org.au

Justice – the kind that Jesus

calls us to – is meant to make

you feel uncomfortable. Not

for the sake of it, but because

it’s so antithetical to the culture

in which we swim that it feels

awkward. We shouldn’t be afraid

of feeling that.

14/07/16Amy Boucher Pyeodb.org

When we think about God’s

faithfulness over the years,

we know that He’s willing

and able to turn our grief to

dancing once again – to give us

sufficient grace in this life and

full joy in heaven.

digital church

A new way to give

Ph

oto

: Bap

tist

Fin

an

cia

l Se

rvic

es

GiveWay makes it simple for people to give to churches and ministry organisations.

Burmese leaders to gather in Australia

A new online payment portal, GiveWay, has been developed by Baptist Financial Services to enable people to conveniently make financial contributions via credit card or direct debit to churches and ministry organisations.

The GiveWay website will allow

churches and organisations to

set up dedicated pages to provide

an online secure portal to receive

payments for their ministries,

events, offering or any other

purpose. A direct link can also

be included on a church’s own

website for donors to make

payments.

Baptist Financial Services

Marketing and Communications

Coordinator Daniela Vittor

said GiveWay is in response

to a growing need within the

community for digital accessibility.

The existing iGive platform,

an anonymous offering payment

service, has seen a take-up of

over 110 churches in the past two

years and has been rolled onto the

GiveWay platform. iGive church

sign up has grown to the pace

of one new church application

per week.

Within the first two weeks of

operation GiveWay received eight

applications.

“The sole purpose of Baptist

Financial Services is to resource,

develop and enhance Christian

ministry and we hope GiveWay will

assist in this mission,” Daniela said.

“GiveWay provides a flexible,

attractive and user-friendly

website, backed by efficient and

streamlined ‘behind the scenes’

processing.”

GiveWay also incorporates a

merchant facility to accept credit

and debit card payments on a cost

effective basis, with no fees and

competitive merchant fees.

“GiveWay is simple to use

and has numerous features and

benefits, including promoting

giving and creating an online

presence,” Daniela said.

“Its flexibility allows one-off or

recurring payments and for any

period or frequency.”

Donors are provided with tax

receipts for each financial year for

tax deductible funds.

Baptist Financial Services

(BFS) will continue to provide iGive

services as part of the new GiveWay

portal. BFS provides this facility for

congregations of churches to make

regular electronic contributions to

support the ministry of the church

and without cost.

For more information, visit

www.giveway.org.au

were really impressed with the

translation.

“God used and will continue

to use this event as a tool for

injecting His power and plan

regarding leadership into our

minds,” he said.

Baptist Churches Western

Australia Director of Ministries

Pastor Mark Wilson said to be

able to support pastors and

leaders in Burmese churches

in a way that strengthens and

empowers them will be an

incredible privilege.

“The goal of the Global

Leadership Summit is to gather

Ph

oto

: Mat

t C

hap

ma

nMembers of Myanmar Baptist Church in a breakout group discussing the

possible Summit event.

In an Australian first all

sessions at the Summit will be

translated into the Burmese

language. There was great

excitement when those gathered

realised that this would be a

groundbreaking event.

During their meeting, a

DVD session from California’s

Abundant Life Christian

Fellowship Lead Pastor Brian

Loritts was presented. The

pastors heard the message in

their own language through

Burmese voice over.

Myanmar Baptist Church

Senior Pastor Zaw Win said they

churches together to go deeper

in their relationships with one

another and in their leadership

development,” Mark said.

“As leaders get better, churches

get better. As churches get

better, people’s lives are

touched. As people’s lives

are touched, communities

are changed.”

Burmese, Karen and Chin pastors and leaders from eight Western Australian Baptist churches have gathered to discuss the possibility of hosting the inaugural Burmese Global Leadership Summit in November.

5newsAUGUST 2016

SU Camps change lives. Great fun, alive faith, deep friendship and Christian community.“It was amazing!”- Glen Echo camper

Scripture Union Camps: book now at suwa.org.au/camps

Ph

oto

: B

apti

stc

are

The Ingredients Project participant Romola Groenewold (right) enjoys

learning to cook with Service Facilitator Joanne Seymour.

Ph

oto

: Jim

Ha

ir

Sun shines on Lakesidehave been able to reduce their

carbon footprint while saving

valuable finances,” Anthony

concluded.

was put in place.

As a result, heavy power

consumers, such as court lighting

was changed to more efficient

units, and high usage fluorescent

lights were upgraded.

The final step was to explore

renewable energy systems.

Wind was considered but despite

Lakeside being in a good position

to collect sea breezes, this option

was deemed too expensive.

The group’s research found that

solar panels were the best option,

with a three year payback period

available.

Funds to finance the project

came from members’ loans and

donations.

“The interest in sustainable

energy was amazing with several

offers coming in soon after

the invitation was published,”

Anthony said.

Lakeside Baptist Church now

has 153 solar panels on its roof that

produce a significant proportion

of the daytime power consumed.

A recent energy audit revealed

that over 98 percent of the power

generated is used on-site.

“With the panels almost

invisible from the street,

‘Lakesiders’ are pleased that they

Celebrating food and community Linda Lee

A new program that gives people with disability the opportunity to learn cooking skills was launched in late 2015. The Ingredients Project was the result of some creative thinking to come out of a new partnership between Baptistcare and ATCO Gas Australia.

spaghetti, vegetable skewers,

and homemade pizza and

gourmet quiches from ‘scratch’

– pastry, dough and all.

Everyone’s efforts were

showcased by hosting an

impressive celebration dinner

which was attended by their

family, friends, support

workers and service facilitators.

Enjoying cooking in

this setting has sparked an

appreciation for healthy eating

among each participant and

provided them with valuable

skills for independent living.

While most participants

had limited experience in

the kitchen at the start of the

program, each person has now

gained the confidence to cook by

themselves and for others.

“This project has made me

excited about cooking,” said

participant Romola.

“I made pizza for everyone

I live with at home with

capsicum, tomato, cheese

and chicken – it was so yum!”

“I especially love doing this

Lakeside’s solar panels being inspected by Project Manager Doug Raymond.

because I love food and now I

can cook all by myself.”

Another participant Sonya

said she feels fully alive when

she cooks and now creates a new

dish at home every week. She

loves trying new ingredients and

experimenting with flavours to

develop her own recipes.

The participants learned

about nutrition and cooking,

how to use natural gas safely, and

were able to gain important life

skills and now have the potential

to undertake professional

catering training in the future.

For more information, visit

www.baptistcare.com.au/

disability-services

Jim Hair

When the annual electricity costs for Lakeside Baptist Church surpassed $50,000 in 2015, the management team knew they had to look at ways to reduce the expense.

As part of their ministry, Lakeside

own and operate a commercial

recreation centre in Bibra Lake,

accounting for a large portion of

the cost.

Senior Pastor Anthony Palmieri

said there are many benefits in

owning such a large complex.

“People visit this place of

worship every day and while

waiting for kids to finish their sport

they are open to the message of

hope,” he said.

“The down side is that

everything is big … lawns, car parks,

maintenance lists and power bills.”

The first step taken by a team

of interested members was to

investigate what used the power

and when, so a monitoring system

The Ingredients Project saw six

Baptistcare Disability Services

participants – Ashleigh, Corey,

Lisa, Romola, Sonya and

Steven – attend lessons over

three a month period to learn

how to cook healthy meals.

The participants learned about

nutrition and cooking, how to

use natural gas safely, and were

able to gain important life skills

and now have the potential to

undertake professional catering

work in the future.

ATCO Gas Australia hosted

the lessons at the ATCO

Gas Blue Flame Kitchen in

Jandakot and chefs Kym

Werner, Kirsty Langden and

Robert Cumberworth from

Aurum volunteered their time

and expertise for the training

component of the program.

Participants were challenged

with new techniques and

practical cooking skills each

week, trying many things for

the first time.

The group’s culinary

adventures included making

This project has made me excited about cooking.

6 newsAUGUST 2016

Ph

oto

: Kat

he

rin

e v

an

Ass

elt

Tannah Pridmore, Isabelle Whittering, Talya Conradie, Ava Phelps, Zoe Hubbard, Eliza Clubley leading students

and staff in worship.

Worship service first

Mandurah Baptist College

Student Services Staff Member

Katherine van Asselt said the

staff aim to encourage students

to develop a personal awareness

of God and to assist them in

applying biblical principles in

their lives.

“An important example of

this is to have student leaders

do what they do best – lead,”

Katherine said.

The worship assembly

provided an opportunity

for students of all ages to

come together for a time of

community and fellowship.

“The facilitation of

community is an important

aspect of what takes place at

Mandurah Baptist College,”

Katherine said.

“The College’s leadership

team strives for cooperation

between teachers and students.”

The idea of being in

community with one another

as a College played a significant

role in the assembly. Unlike

its regular assemblies where

students are seated in year

groups, students sat wherever

they chose and were encouraged

to engage in activities with

people they didn’t know in order

to learn more about each other.

Year 11 and 12 music students

lead the worship during the

assembly and students and

staff sang songs praising God

together.

Anthony Harrison, a Youth

Pastor in Mandurah shared a

short devotion about having

courage in times of struggle

and reminded the students that

there will always be times in

life that are hard and to not lose

hope. His overarching theme

was to be reminded of God’s

unending love for those present.

“The College’s first student

led worship assembly was a great

success and the College staff are

very proud of the initiative and

hard work all the student leaders

put into making it a memorable

experience for everyone

involved,” Katherine said.

“We hope that this can

be experienced again in the

future.”

Virtual reality church

to wake the kids, no hurry to

get dressed and have breakfast

before hitting the road late and

in a fluster. You amble over to

the living room and plop down

on the sofa, pulling the virtual

reality goggles over your eyes.

Instantaneously your home is

gone. You are sitting inside a

wonderfully bright and beautiful

building. Every which way

around you people are chatting

and finding their seats. The

worship leader walks across the

stage and encourages people

with outstretched arms to tune

into the presence of God.

The drumbeat kicks in and

people are up, clapping and

singing praise to God. Your

senses are engaged. You are fully

immersed. You feel the presence

of the Spirit rise within you as

you join passionately in the

worship.

However, you are still in your

living room and have just woken

up the household!

There is so much for the

Church to consider about

virtual reality. Would it fall into

the Hebrews 10:25 category

Ph

oto

: ww

w.p

oly

go

n.c

om

Is the PlayStation VR headset something we will be wearing to

‘attend’ church?

Virtual reality has moved from the realm of science fiction into, well … reality. One only need look at Sony’s PlayStation VR promotional trailer to understand that once this technology hits the market the social fabric of society will be changed.

Recent years have seen the

meteoric rise of social media

and the universal church has

had to deal with questions of

its adoption to keep in touch

with a hyper-connected world.

Just think, there is a Pope who

Tweets! But what if the social

media leap was just a foretaste of

the change that is coming?

Picture this scenario. It’s

Sunday morning and time to

get ready for church. No need

Students at Mandurah Baptist College are encouraged by staff to live out the College’s motto ‘be strong and courageous’ and this was demonstrated in the form of a student led worship assembly in June.

of not meeting together? Is a

virtual Baptism with a sincere

testimony and witnessed by

scores of people legitimate?

Is there need for a bricks and

mortar building when you could

have a virtual reality designer

build you an online sanctuary

where congregants from all over

the world link up? Certainly, it

is a frontier that will test our

theology and our hearts desire

to continue sharing the gospel.

Ed Devine

There is so much for the Church to consider about virtual reality.

7newsAUGUST 2016

Fresh empowers women globally

Ph

oto

: Bap

tist

Wo

rld

Aid

Au

stra

lia

Ph

oto

: Ca

ssy

Be

ec

k

Generous Fresh Conference support has enabled Baptist World Aid Australia to work with women’s groups in Nepal.

Noongar Sunday celebration

“God no longer counts our

sins against us because of the

work of Jesus, therefore we can

forgive and be reconciled to

each other,” Martin explained.

“Our reconciliation to God

also makes each of us a new

creation.”

“What matters is not how

we look on the outside but that

we have all been changed from

within by God.”

The morning service was

followed by a luncheon that

featured traditional Noongar

food of yabbies, damper, lamb

and kangaroo tail, all cooked on

coals at the rear of the church.

“The church was thankful to

God for such a successful event

and look forward to celebrating

with their local Indigenous

brothers and sisters again soon,”

Gnowangerup Community

Church Pastor Gerard Field said.

A key part of what the

conferences have achieved has

been the funds raised, within

excess of $673,000 having been

donated by attendees since 2007.

The aim of Fresh Conference

is to mobilise women to bring

change to their local and global

communities. Since the inaugural

conference in 2007 where 100

women came together to explore

what God-based generosity looks

like, Fresh has grown in both

number and impact.

Over the years, women from

Western Australia have been

able to assist in a wide variety of

ways around the world as they

partnered with Baptist World Aid

Australia and the projects they are

involved with.

These projects have

included building birthing

huts in Papua New Guinea to

significantly reduce child and

mother mortality; installation

of a water pipeline for an entire

village – Mamusi, Papua New

Guinea; support for women

coming out of the sex trade in

Kolkata; rebuilding a village

destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan

in the Philippines; provision

for child support and women’s

empowerment in Bangladesh;

and extensive aid and recovery

work after the recent earthquake

in Nepal.

State Leader for Baptist

Women in Western Australia

Karen Wilson said she has been

astounded by the generosity of

the women who attend Fresh

Conferences.

“Each one of us wants to live

in a way that makes a difference

in the lives of those around

us. Together, women at Fresh

Conferences have grasped the

idea of making a difference in

their world,” she said.

“The past nine years have

seen incredible financial

giving and collectively have

had an incredible impact – it is

something to truly celebrate.”

Baptist World Aid Australia

CEO John Hickey is very

appreciative of the partnership

with Fresh Conference.

Robbie Miniter and Tim Beeck enjoy eating some yabbies during

Noongar Sunday.

In celebration of Reconciliation Week, ‘Noongar Sunday’ was held by Gnowangerup Community Church in late May to thank God for the local Indigenous people.

The service was attended by

Noongars from Gnowangerup,

Tambellup, Katanning and

Albany.

Tambellup local Martin

Smith, who now pastors at

the Aboriginal Evangelical

Church in Balga spoke from

2 Corinthians 5 about the

importance of Indigenous and

non-Indigenous people being

reconciled to one other. He said

this is only made possible by

God having reconciled us to

Himself through Christ.

As Fresh Conference 2016 approaches organisers have reflected on the events’ humble beginnings and achievements ahead of the tenth year of the popular women’s conference.

Pastoral changesPastor Phil Beeck has concluded

his role at East Fremantle

Baptist Church and will be

commencing as the new Senior

Pastor at Albany Baptist Church.

Pastor Ben Fisher was inducted

by the Baptist Churches Western

Australia Director of Ministries

Pastor Mark Wilson as the

new Pastor of Hedland Baptist

Church in July. Ben grew up in

the Hedland church and has

been the Student Pastor under

the guidance of Pastor Bill

Joukhadar.

Rev. Dr Peter Christofides

has concluded as the Dean of

Students and Lecturer in New

Testament at Vose Seminary

and will commence full-time

ministry at Mount Pleasant

Baptist Church with a focus on

the Coolbellup Campus.

AFFA Film FestivalMandurah Baptist College

hosted a college tour, Memory

Forever film viewing and a press

conference for the Asia Film

Faculty Association and Filming

Studio group from China.

The group of CEOs, actors and

directors visited the school as a

follow-on from its 2015 Memory

Forever documentary and spent

the day with students, taking

part in College activities and

a viewing of the documentary

in the auditorium. The group

also supported the College by

hosting a drama workshop and

the AFFA Film Festival at the

Lakes Theatre on Saturday

18 June.

Tom Fisher HouseThe Western Australia Heads of

Churches (WAHOC) reported it

is pleased that the Tom Fisher

House is due to be opened in

August. WAHOC have been

championing this homeless

shelter since 2010 in its annual

meetings with the Premier.

Tom Fisher House will be run

in a partnership between the

Government and St Vincent

de Paul Society, providing

nightly safe accommodation

for up to ten men. Former Child

Protection Minister Robyn

McSweeney said Tom Fisher

House would provide secure

crisis accommodation to

people who would otherwise be

sleeping on the streets.

“This facility will provide a safe

place to sleep for some of the

city’s most vulnerable men,”

Mrs McSweeney said.

local briefs

“This community of women

from Western Australia have

made, and continue to make,

a tangible, long-term and

sustainable difference in families

and communities around the

globe,” John said.

“Thank you for your

partnership, generosity and

support of our vision to see a

world where poverty has ended

and all people enjoy the fullness of

life God intends.”

In just a few weeks’ time,

women on all over WA will

gather on 26 and 27 August to be

inspired, hear the needs of women

and children from around the

world, and respond with hearts

more focused on reaching out.

“We were made to live life

large and impact the world

around us and the women at

Fresh do just this,” Karen said.

For more information, visit

www.freshconference.net

What matters is not how we look on the outside...

8 AUGUST 2016

feature

Jill Birt

Pastor Bill Hybels from Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago

said at its Leadership Summit in 1995 that evangelism is one of the

easiest things for a church to lose through no funding in the budget,

no training, no prayer and no catalytic voice from the leadership of

the church.

A tool like Alpha can assist a church to keep an outward focus

and engage followers of Jesus to be on the front foot in conversations

and activities where they may discover people who are interested in

spiritual life.

To date 30 million people around the world have completed an Alpha

course. Hundreds of thousands of people have met God as they explored

their queries about life, faith and God.

More than 20 Baptist churches in Western Australia are currently

using resources available from Alpha.

Resources

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that engage people in

conversations about life, faith and God. There is a range of resources

for churches to use, depending on their situation and needs. Each

resource is based around food, teaching and conversation, upheld by

concerted prayer.

A congregation needs a variety of evangelism tools to support

followers of Jesus as they reach out to family and friends. No single tool

will meet all the needs. Recognising this, Alpha has developed a stable of

resources to help the local church keep evangelism ‘on the boil’.

The classic sessions developed in the 1980s with Nicky Gumbel

speaking directly to camera for about 45 minutes was the first resource

that went global in the late 1980s. The course ran for ten sessions and

helped thousands of people engage with their spiritual questions and

presuppositions in a non-confrontational, engaging environment. Pastor

John Harris and his wife Rosemary used this resource many times at

Claremont Baptist Church and saw the church grow from 35 people to

about 350.

Alpha fine-tuned the sessions in the early 2000s. Jamie Haith

presented the teaching elements and Alpha used a more contemporary

form of filming, picking up on more recent forms of television and film

presentation for documentaries. The truths addressed remain the same

but the method of delivery is more in tune with modern day needs

and styles.

The Alpha Youth material has a slightly different format and allows

more flexibility with groups able to pick and choose the elements of

topics they want to use.

Keeping a focus on evangelism in the local church is a constant challenge.

Eliot and Sandy Vlatko with Helen and Paul Kenny led the recent Alpha

Marriage Course in Kalgoorlie.

The talks at Alpha gatherings explore the big ideas about faith and are

designed to inspire and engage conversation.

Alpha works with small groups of people who gather to share in

conversation and often a meal.

Ph

oto

: He

len

Ke

nn

yP

ho

to: A

lph

a A

ust

rali

aP

ho

to: A

lph

a A

ust

rali

a

CHURCHES USE ALPHA TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES

9AUGUST 2016

feature

CHURCHES USE ALPHA TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES

Challenges

Discovering guests who want to explore spiritual issues is a real

challenge. Craigie Baptist Church delivered 5,000 promotional leaflets

to local residents with no response but personal invitations saw about

20 people join the course. More than a decade ago Claremont Baptist

Church hung a large banner on their building fronting Stirling Highway

advertising the group. Many people responded to the advertising.

For some conservative churches Alpha’s inclusion of teaching on the

availability of the Holy Spirit to empower followers of Jesus for ministry

and worship is challenging. Others embrace the entire teaching of the

course, and have been surprised by the results.

Rob Stevens from Lakeside Baptist Church said they made the

decision to do the entire course as it is presented.

“We have always insisted that if we run the course, we will run the

whole course as it is, and won’t water down the ‘Holy Spirit stuff’. That’s

both challenging and exciting, but if you don’t get out of the boat, you are

never going to ‘walk on water’!” Rob said.

Pastor Mike Miles from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church noted that

some churches present this section of teaching a little differently.

“There is no reason why one of the teaching ministers of the church

can’t take the teaching for that day [with the focus on the Holy Spirit]

more in line with their own church’s position. I have heard of this done

very successfully and ought not to be a deterrent to doing the Alpha

course,” Mike said.

What’s coming?

Bear Grylls, who strengthened his relationship wth Jesus through

doing the Alpha course, is the face of a national focus on Alpha

during 2017. Bear has gifted his support to Alpha Australia to

engage Australians to consider exploring their questions

about life, faith and God through the Alpha course.

Churches across Australia are invited to host an

Alpha course during the year and start the journey of

helping people meet Jesus. South Perth Baptist Church is

already planning training events for their team of volunteers.

“We think Alpha can help us engage with our

local community so we’re getting on board and

started early to be ready,” South Perth Baptist

Church Pastor Steve Izett said.

For more information and to

register, visit alpha.org.au

Pastor Brad Lewis and his team at Bentley Baptist Church use elements

of the Youth course in their regular Friday evening youth program as a

discipleship tool.

A need for input to support married couples was the catalyst for

developing the Marriage Course. Helen Kenny and her husband Paul

have recently finished running the Marriage Course with Pastor Eliot

and Sandy Vlatko at Kalgoorlie Baptist Church for the first time.

“The course was great. We saw marriages enriched, people reaching

out to others struggling in marriage and potential break-ups averted,”

Helen said.

“With our great support team preparing amazing food and a unique

venue in the Hope Café which is part of the church property, we’ll

definitely be running this course again.”

The unique Alpha Prison Ministries resources were developed to

help those visiting prisons on a regular basis. Other groups including

Indigenous Australians have content and structure suitable for their

culture. Alpha for Our Mob is currently being used with Indigenous

Australians in country New South Wales.

Support

Based on research, structuring the gathering around some form

of food and drinks seems to be the best format. This can be anything

from a catered three course meal to a cup of soup and a bread roll, or a

fine coffee and handcrafted chocolates. Churches, including Kalgoorlie

Baptist, Lakeside Baptist, Mount Pleasant Baptist and Scarborough

Baptist, have developed longstanding teams that look after catering, set-

up, prayer and in some cases, child care. Alpha gives opportunities for a

wide range of spiritual gifts and passion to be used.

Training

Western Australia Alpha representative Kim Stanfield believes the

training Alpha provides is crucial to running the course well. The

investment in preparing the team that runs the course reaps rewards

for participants.

Pastor Eliot Vlatko has conducted the course numerous times in a

number of Baptist churches.

“It’s challenging for many church people who want to help seekers

‘race to the finish line’, so the training helps people to stand back and let

people interact and wrestle with the truths of biblical faith,” Eliot said.

According to Eliot, one issue for groups who do not grasp the model

of letting people ask whatever they want is that small group leaders

invariably talk too much.

10 newsAUGUST 2016

Ph

oto

: Ca

mb

od

ia B

ible

So

cie

ty

With their village totally

destroyed and desperate to

escape the continued US

bombing in their region,

Mr Nhernh and others fled into

Vietnam. They were traumatised

but also deeply worried that in

their haste to leave they hadn’t

had time to make offerings to

appease the spirits.

Mr Nhernh is a member of

the Bunong tribe, which, like all

the hill tribes in Cambodia, is

traditionally animist, regularly

sacrificing livestock to the

spirits. Although they were

relieved to have escaped the

bombs, and were trying to

rebuild their lives in Vietnam,

they felt overwhelmed with grief

and fear.

Some Vietnamese people

began to visit the refugees. They

offered them help and

friendship, and also shared some

good news: God loved them and

War catalyses change

After years of living as a refugee, Tot Nhernh returned to his homeland

Cambodia planting simple churches throughout the Bunong villages.

had released them from all

bondage through His son, Jesus.

Mr Nhernh recalls how he felt all

his fear falling away, replaced by

a peace and freedom he had

never experienced. He was

among several Bunong refugees

to become Christians, learning

much about their new faith

during their time in exile.

When the war ended, he

could not wait to return home

and share the gospel. He and the

other new Bunong Christians

planted small churches in

Bunong villages, and also

evangelised other hill tribes,

including the Krung and

Tampuan.

Although work to translate

the Scriptures into Bunong had

begun in Vietnam in the 1960s,

the work had been disrupted by

the war and the manuscripts

lost. Some small portions of

Scripture in Bunong were

Tot Nhernh, 93, vividly remembers the panic he and his family felt as the bombs started falling on their village in north-east Cambodia. It was the 1970s and the Vietnam War was spilling into the region as members of the Viet Cong crossed the border to hide.

published before the war, but

these were only available in

Roman script – understandable

to the Bunong in Vietnam but

not to those in Cambodia, who

use Khmer script.

So Mr Nhernh and other

Bunong evangelists in

Cambodia were sharing the

gospel by simply telling people

the story of Jesus.

The two decades of

communist rule that followed

the war were very difficult for

the church in Cambodia,

particularly for ethnic minorities

like the Bunong. But Christianity

grew steadily, and today, around

10 percent of Cambodia’s

Bunong people are Christians.

In May 2016 around 50 years

after the first attempt to translate

the Scriptures into Bunong, the

Bunong people of Cambodia

and Vietnam received the New

Testament in their language.

Undertaken by Vietnam

Partnership, the Bible Society in

Cambodia and Summer Institute

of Linguistics, printed in both

Khmer and Roman scripts.

Bibles needed for Walespersonal and social education

lessons to the students. These

lessons have customised

workbooks which give life lessons

drawn from biblical characters.

In 2014 the Sporting Marvels

started presenting a Bible at the

end of the school year as a gift to

the students. This effectively put

God’s Word back into the centre

of the home. To date they do not

have sufficient Bibles to meet

their needs this year.

As the community is steadily

transforming, Sporting Marvels

recently planted a church in

the Rhondda Valley to support a

growing generation finding life

and hope in Jesus Christ.

having a Christian role model in

front of every school child.

Today, Carl Brettles reports the

Rhondda Valley has changed.

“Crime is down,

unemployment is down and

physically, the whole place looks

brighter,” Carl said.

“I wonder if that spark of faith

and much prayer 14 years ago has

had this tremendous effect on the

34 villages that make up the two

Rhondda valleys?”

Sporting Marvels now have

ten full-time workers in schools

across the Rhondda Valley,

providing sports coaching

support to the religious education

team. As fully committed

Christians, the team also provide

Carl Brettles from Sporting Marvels needs Bibles for the people of the Rhondda Valley communities in Wales.

In July 2002, the region was

known for drugs, unemployment

and a reputation for abuse in

homes. No-one seemed to have

any solutions.

During a prayer meeting in

early July, the idea of Sporting

Marvels formed.

The plan was to use sports

coaching in schools as a way of

Buddhists changeCharisma News reports revival is

exploding across Tibet following

a Tibetan monk’s conversion

to Christianity in 2015. Several

sources are reporting more than

200,000 Tibetans have accepted

Jesus. Asian Access’ Joel Handley

said he believes much of the

faith sweeping the region stems

from Christian response to the

devastating Nepalese earthquake

more than a year ago. “They haven’t

seen Buddhists, Hindus or other

religious groups helping in the

midst of the rubble. Rather, week

after week, it is the followers of

Jesus who have proved the test of

international briefs

Jill Birt

A full time position is available for an enthusiastic and experienced person to oversee Lakeside's Youth Ministry.ToTo fulfil this position, you will require creativity, excellent leadership, and communication skills. The youth pastor is responsible for the direction, vision, long-term planning and development of the Lakeside Youth Ministry.ForFor more information or a copy of the selection criteria, contact Anthony Palmieri via anthony@lakeside.asn.au

time, sacrificed their own lives to

serve, and been the hands and feet

of Jesus,” Joel said.

Pakistanis sufferingPakistani Christians continue to

suffer following the Easter 2016

bombings that claimed 70 lives

and maimed and injured about

300 people. At a recent London

conference on persecution, a

Pakistani pastor broke down as he

described the devastation in the

Christian community after the

attack. The bomber had packed

ball bearings around the explosives

to maximise injuries to families

celebrating Easter near a play

area. People still have ball bearings

imbedded in their bodies and the

resulting infections are causing

the death toll to rise. Release

International is sending trauma

counsellors to help traumatised

victims of the bombing.

Russian lawsIn early July the Federation

Council, the upper house of

Russia’s parliament, approved new

anti-terror bills that could make

sharing the gospel in Russia illegal

activity. “If the bill is signed and

it stands as is without change,

it looks like missionary activity

would be off limits to anybody but

representatives of the registered

organisations or groups, or

individuals who have entered

into formal agreements with such

bodies,” Slavic Gospel Association’s

Joel Griffith said. The new anti-

terror legislation cracks down

on anything that is interpreted

as a violation of public security

and order – extremist actions,

coercion into ruining families, and

encroachments on the freedom

of the person and the rights and

freedoms of citizens.

Sudan troubleSouth Sudan became the

world’s newest country in 2011

after seceding from the North.

Following a lengthy dispute

over where a border should

be, it was decided that Sudan’s

predominantly Christian South

Kordofan and Blue Nile states

would remain in the mainly Sunni

Muslim North. The Sudanese

government has waged a bombing

campaign against the southern

region. Sudan’s Christians, who

are concentrated in the southern

regions of the country, are among

the hundreds of thousands of

people who have been displaced

by the violence, and whose homes,

crops, churches, schools and

hospitals have been destroyed.

11newsAUGUST 2016

Trainer opportunity in PNG

A recent baptism service of more than 100 believers demonstrates the vitality of the churches of the Baptist

Union of Papua New Guinea.

Ph

oto

: Ge

off

Cra

mb

from many parts of Papua

New Guinea and they are

equipped in a certificate level

course in Tok Pisin. From

there, typically, they start

village pastoring. But the

College is not enough.

Baptist leaders and local

associations’ church leaders

recognise a need for English

language training of pastors

at diploma level. The training

would be in a blended

learning style.

The trainer would work

under the leadership of the

Director of the Division of

Ministry within the Baptist

Union of Papua New Guinea.

“They need to apply

to become an accepted

candidate with Global

Interaction, have pastoral

experience, especially in

equipping others, hold a

Certificate IV in Training

and Assessment (or higher)

with experience in blended

The Baptist Union of Papua New Guinea has invited Global Interaction to send a person to assist in establishing training in English and Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin) at diploma level for national church workers.

Crafty cap project helps Ethiopian nurses

Western Australian based nurse Ann Mitchell, from York Hospital, returned to Ethiopia in early July with some special gifts.

Ph

oto

: Ga

rry

Mc

Gre

ch

an

Bethany McGrechan models a theatre cap as Parky Craft Coordinator Joy Gregson (middle) hands over the pile of new

theatre caps and masks to Ann Mitchell who delivered them to Ethiopia.

Exciting position available at Carey Baptist Church | Harrisdale

Full time Associate Pastor

For further information and key selection criteria please contact Church Administrator, Mel Gillis on 93949155 or email applications to mgillis@carey.asn.au

Applications close 5:00pm, Friday 26 August 2016

The Associate Pastor should be a spiritually mature, enthusiastic Christian leader who is experienced in developing pastoral care and discipleship systems and leading in spiritual formation.

learning and competency-based

training and an appropriate

tertiary qualification,” Geoff said.

The appointee would live

in Mount Hagen, Western

Highlands, Papua New Guinea

in a provided unit. The position

would involve travel to various

locations, especially the Baptist

Theological College located in

the Baiyer Valley, just one hour’s

drive away.

“Whoever the Lord calls to

this role will find enthusiastic

learners and a fulfilling function

in equipping others in a context

where followers of Jesus are

exhibiting a revitalisation in

their faith expression in their

community,” Geoff said.

“The appointee will need

to learn Tok Pisin, build

relationships and assimilate

with local culture.”

For more information, visit

globalinteraction.org.au

helping maintain high standards

of hygiene.

Parky Craft Coordinator Joy

Gregson said the ladies from the

craft group were pleased to be

able to help meet a specific need

in Ethiopia.

Women at the group donated

fabric and their time to create

the brightly coloured cotton caps

and masks for the Ethiopian

doctors and nurses. The women

met for a Saturday workshop,

first drafting patterns then

completing the items.

Ann returned to Ethiopia

with a team from Australian

Doctors for Africa after a

similar visit earlier in February

2016, to teach theatre skills

and wound care to Ethiopian

nurses at Hawassa University

Referral Hospital, a teaching

hospital connected with Awassa

University on the shores of Lake

Awassa in the Great Rift Valley in

Southern Ethiopia.

... helping maintain high standards of hygiene.

There are between 60,000 and

80,000 church members across

Papua New Guinea.

Albert Kroenert, the first

Baptist missionary in PNG

recorded in his diary on 24 June

1949 after trekking for several

days in the Western Highlands,

“This is the place where I

believe God wants us

to begin.”

The first followers of Jesus

were baptised in 1956. The

church is alive with 123 being

baptised at one service recently.

Global Interaction

Consultant with the Baptist

Union of Papua New Guinea,

Geoff Cramb said equipping

pastors in a way that is a good

fit with the context, has been a

constant challenge.

Fewer than 20 people

have degree level training

in Bible and theology. The

Baptist Theological College

in the Baiyer Valley, Western

Highlands, attracts students

Parky Craft group, a ministry of

Parkerville Baptist Church where

Ann is a member, sewed more

than 100 operating theatre caps

and masks for staff at Hawassa

University Referral Hospital and

Bahir Dar Hospital.

Until now staff have been

re-using disposable face masks

day after day and using gauze

for their caps. The new caps and

masks can be washed regularly,

12 AUGUST 2016

How did you come to be a

supermodel?

It was a unique journey

from being nobody to being

somebody.

I’m half Brazilian and half

Indonesian. My mother had me

when she was very young. So I

was raised by my grandparents

until I was seven. My

grandmother was a professing

Christian and my grandfather,

Muslim. Then I moved back with

my parents, and grew up in Bali,

Indonesia.

I remember as a kid, I started

to feel weird about the way I

looked and my ethnicity, and I

was especially annoyed by my

name. I had a foreign name, so

kids at school called me ‘Trasi’

(read: Trah-see,) which means

smelly fish. I didn’t look like most

of the other kids. I was neither

fully Asian nor fully Western.

I struggled with these identity

issues from such an early age.

When I was 14, my life took

a 180 degree turn. My mother

sent my photo to the top teen

magazines in Indonesia, which

hosted annual modelling

competitions. One chose me

as one of their finalists, and I

became the winner. At first,

I didn’t realise the impact of

winning that competition –

I instantly became famous.

People started calling me by my

name, and asking me for photos

and autographs.

The same year, my mother

entered me into an international

modelling competition in

Jakarta, which I won. I then

flew to Seoul, Korea, to represent

Indonesia. I competed against

77 contestants from 65 countries

and won US$50,000 and a two

year contract with Elite Model

Management in New York City.

Before that year, I had never

felt so much acceptance and

love. I had never felt happier.

There and then I committed

myself to pursue this fame and

fortune for I reasoned that’s

where happiness would be

found.

The label ‘Indonesian

supermodel’ was given to me

because never before had there

been an Indonesian model who

walked in Paris and New York

Fashion Weeks, and worked

for mega designers and big

worldwide campaigns. It took a

lot of sacrifice and hard work to

get to that point.

As Indonesia’s first supermodel, surrounded by fame and glamour, Tracy Trinita found herself with an emptiness that could not be filled until she realised that Christianity had the answer to her deepest questions about life. The Advocate had the privilege of catching up with her before she shares her journey at a Perth City Bible Forum event, ‘When the fashion model met the Designer’, on 1 September.

in conversation

never before. It was like God gave

me a new vision and mission, and

there was meaning and purpose

in my existence. I wanted my life

to be even more meaningful. I

joined many organisations. I was

the ambassador for the World

Health Organisation in Indonesia

for the anti-tobacco campaign;

I joined an orphanage ministry,

Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa

(YCAB) [translates to ‘Loving the

nation’s children foundation’] and

church missions; and I shared

about Jesus to my friends.

Then I returned to the

modelling world in New York, but

with a totally different mindset. I

no longer felt I had to impress the

world or gain fame and wealth. I

just wanted to use my potential,

and at the same time to make my

Saviour known. Being a Christian

gave me such a freedom to say

‘no’ to ungodly things, because

the most important opinion

about you is what God sees in

you. Ultimately I wanted to please

God through using everything

He had given me.

What opportunities did you

have to share your faith

with people you met in the

modelling industry?

First of all, the joy in my

heart was just overflowing.

I think people could totally

see that. Second, I invited my

friends to come to church with

me. Third, I just wanted to live

by God’s standard even though

people might think of me as

old-fashioned.

In the modelling world,

people prefer action more than

merely words. I hope I did show

them what life in Christ really

looks like.

Even now, I still want to

reach out to the modelling

and entertainment world. I

want people to know the Lord

Jesus: the mega designer of

the universe who transforms

lives and brings meaning to our

existence. Praise be to God for

the many open doors. I trust

it is God who has given us the

opportunities and we should

all be faithful in following His

guidance and direction.

You’ve had a career change

since your modelling days,

how did this come about and

what are you working on now?

Ever since I became a

believer, I have been excited

about life. I want to try and

enlarge my potential. I became

a writer for a magazine, a music

promotor inviting famous

singers to perform, I acted

in movies and soap operas, I

opened a fashion boutique,

and finally one thing changed

my life: going back to school

under a scholarship. I studied

Theology and Apologetics at

the Oxford Centre for Christian

Apologetics (OCCA) in the UK.

In my second year of theological

school, I prayed to God about the

direction of my life: “Lord, if you

want me to be a full-timer, please

send a pastor that would offer

me a job to be a pastor in his or

her church.” For me, that would

be the final confirmation. God

answered my prayer by sending

an American pastor who lived in

Jakarta to Oxford, he offered me

a job, and so I accepted.

I worked as a pastor from

2009 to 2013 at the International

English Service Church in

Jakarta, Indonesia, and then

in 2013 I joined Ravi Zacharias

International Ministries (RZIM)

as an itinerant speaker.

I love my calling, sharing

the good news of the gospel

everywhere God sends me.

Was it more difficult being a

supermodel or a Christian in

Indonesia, given the country is

a largely Muslim nation?

It is always difficult being a

true Christian in the marketplace

in any country, because your

conviction and lifestyle will be

against the flow.

I learned about religious

tolerance at a young age,

celebrating Muslim and

Christian holidays with my

grandparents, and still now

respecting other beliefs and

carefully expressing my thoughts

with kindness.

I believe it is harder for those

who convert to Christianity

than those born into nominal

Christian homes.

In ministry, I have to

carefully speak from my heart,

expressing myself in the truest

and kindest way possible.

I’m glad I’m not the one who

converts people – Jesus is. So

my part is just to share the good

news and Jesus is the one who

calls His people back to Himself.

Salvation comes from Jesus

Christ.

What is the biggest challenge in

your Christian walk and what

Fashion model meets Designer

How did you become a Christian

and develop a faith in Christ?

I worked in various cities:

Paris, New York, Milan, Sydney,

etc. After working as a model

for some time, I started to gain

what I was looking for: fame and

fortune, and I was hoping, as a

result, happiness. But there was

a strange feeling that started to

steal the joy in my heart that I

couldn’t explain at the time.

I expected that fortune and

fame would bring the ultimate

happiness, but I found myself

discontented and lonely. Nothing

in the glamour and name

recognition and adoring fans

could fill that void. I wondered if

what was missing in my life was

God. Growing up I was never

taught anything about any faith

in my family. I heard about it in

school, or from my grandma, but

I never personally believed in it.

So one night in my room in New

York City, I cried out to any god

who might be listening, to please

reveal himself to me.

Not long after, I moved

to Paris, where I met a fellow

Indonesian friend. After a while,

she invited me to come to church

with her. I knew that my friend

would never give up until I

agreed, so I gave in.

As I entered the church, I

realised that there was something

different: the people were so

simple, but glowing. No one wore

glamourous clothes, no one wore

much makeup, yet everyone’s

face seemed to be glowing with

happiness. I was intrigued.

That was the beginning of

my curiosity about faith. I didn’t

want to easily believe in the

Christian faith. I needed to do

my homework. I studied a few

religions, and decided the one

with the best answers would be

the right one for me. I found that

only Jesus offered words that

touched both my mind and heart.

After considering many things

about faith, I turned to Jesus as

my Lord and Saviour.

Life has never been the same.

The Lord Jesus filled my heart

and my mind, and finally my life

was meaningful because of what

the Lord did. I started to have

fresh, new perspectives about life.

As a supermodel, how did

your Christian faith impact

your career?

When I became a believer,

I was so excited about life like

Indonesia’s first supermodel, Tracy Trinita will be in Perth 1 September to

speak about her life and Christian faith.

Ph

oto

: Ell

e M

ag

azi

ne

have you learnt during your

modelling career?

I’ve learnt to explain how and

why I have made the choices in

my life, especially to those in the

entertainment industry. They

sometimes look at me like I’m

from another planet!

Also how to “love your

neighbours as yourself.” In

an industry that is so highly

competitive, it is refreshing to

be a friend and always to be kind

and forgiving.

What is your definition of

success?

I look at success as being

faithful to the purpose of why

you were created. It cannot be

measured by money, power, or

achievements, because those

things are temporary. In short,

success is to know God and to

live to the fullest of our potential

for His glory.

What else is in the wings for

you this year and what are your

aspirations for the future?

I’m looking forward to

visiting various cities in Australia

and sharing what the Lord Jesus

has done in my life, and I trust

He has an amazing future for

everyone who puts their trust in

Him.

I’m extremely excited for

missions in Java, Indonesia. God

has put this in my heart for two

years and I’m trying to open the

door to reach out and prepare

church leaders across the island

of Java, but somehow the door

has been constantly closed, for

various reasons. I don’t give up

easily, especially since I know

God is with me and by His grace

everything is possible.

I want to be part of God’s

work in preparing generations to

go deeper into Scripture and to

bring transformation.

To book a ticket or

more information, visit

citybibleforum.org/city/perth

13AUGUST 2016

growth

Role models on the runmembers of the USA’s 2012

Olympic team. Rather than

shy away from the platform

that comes with fame, Felix

stepped confidently onto it.

She feels her position comes

with the responsibility to be a

positive example – a role she

has embraced. As part of Project

Believe, a program of the US

Anti-Doping Agency, Felix

submits to randomised blood

and urine tests to prove that she

is competing drug-free. Through

her participation, Felix hopes

to send a message to up-and-

coming athletes that they don’t

have to inject anything into their

bodies to be able to perform at an

elite level.

Felix also travels

internationally as an Athlete

Ambassador for Right to Play, a

non-profit organisation seeking

to empower disadvantaged

children through the power of

athletics. In that capacity, she

has travelled to Lebanon and

Palestine to inspire children

to develop life skills and self-

confidence by playing sports.

Furthermore, Felix advises the

government on opportunities to

promote active, healthy lifestyles

as a volunteer member of the

President’s Council on Fitness,

Sports and Nutrition.

As much as she once looked

up to Marion Jones, Allyson

Felix’s Mum and Dad have always

been her foremost role models.

John C Maxwell

Disappointed. Confused. Hurt. That’s how we feel when a role model turns out to be unreliable. When someone we admire fails us, the painful emotions trigger questions. Should we stop looking up to the leaders around us? After all, they routinely seem to let us down. Also, should we run away from being role models ourselves? Should we warn others not to look up to us in case we mess up?

In 2007, American sprint star

Marion Jones confessed to using

performance-enhancing drugs

while winning five medals at the

2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Perhaps no one took the news

harder than current Olympian

Allyson Felix, whose own passion

for track and field had been

inspired by Jones’ feats. She was

devastated by Jones’ admission

of guilt.

Having won a silver medal

in 2004 along with a silver and

gold in 2008, Allyson Felix ranks

among the most celebrated

Andrew HamiltonP

ho

to: S

hu

tte

rsto

ck

.co

m

“I admire them so much

because they are real people yet

they live such godly lives. They

have countless responsibilities

and hectic schedules, but they

know what their life is all about,

and they have a passion for

sharing their faith and making

a difference in our community.”

She credits the love and

support of her parents as a

major reason for her successes

in life. She also caught an

important lesson from

them: leaders have awesome

opportunities that come with

tremendous responsibilities. In

the words of her Dad, speaking

of his leadership role in the

Felix family, “It is a great calling

to be fathers our children can

pattern themselves after.”

Leadership is inseparable

from influence. We cannot live

in this world without touching

the lives around us – and being

affected by them in return.

We’re always going to influence

and to be influenced. We always

are role models, and we always

have them. The biggest choices

we will ever make, then, are

how we will influence others

through our roles in life and

who will be the role models we

allow to influence us.

Reprinted with permission

from The John Maxwell

Company. ©2016

www.johnmaxwell.com

Mapping out a life trajectoryare we will unknowingly take the

path of least resistance and finish

up in a place we never intended

to be.

Now that I’m nearly 52 I’ve

seen this so often – some gradually

move into spiritual maturity and

health while others slowly drift into

a life where faith has diminished to

a vague memory.

So who do you want to be?

And what choices do you need

to make to ensure you remain

on a trajectory that allows you to

become that person? It isn’t just

going to happen.

Lately I’ve been pondering the concept of ‘trajectory’ as a way of making sense of the shape that our lives take, especially the faith dimension.

You see no one just wakes up one

day and discovers that they are

fat. Obesity is a result of a series of

many interconnected life choices

that have leant in the direction of

over-consuming. Neither does

anyone wake up fit and in great

shape. Again a series of many,

many choices over many years will

have contributed to this outcome.

So the idea of spiritual maturity

takes form in a similar way. No one

wakes up one day as a ‘spiritual

giant’, nor do they suddenly find

themselves spiritually empty. From

the time we surrender our life to

Christ we make choices that either

move us in the direction of more

substantial faith or we can head

the other way and make choices

that run at odds with our stated

intention of becoming Christlike.

Most of us lumber around and

have fits of passion followed by

periods of indifference, or maybe

even despair.

But our choices matter.

Small choices here and there

that conflict with where we hope

to head are like a donut in the

middle of a strict diet. Not ideal,

but not likely to make a significant

difference to the final destination.

But if a person were ‘on a diet’

and eating a donut a day – while

stating their intention was to get

slim, then we’d view them with

a bit of scepticism. It’s a repeated

pattern of choices and it will have

an outcome in due course.

I’m certain that where we are in

faith today is the result of a series of

choices we have made over a long

period of time, and equally where

we will be in 15 to 20 years’ time

will be a result of the choices we

are making now.

So perhaps the question we

need to grapple with is ‘who do

I want to be in 20 years’ time?’

Because if we don’t have any sense

of our ‘life trajectory’ then chances

Andrew Hamilton is the Pastor

at Quinns Baptist Church.

Ph

oto

s: J

ill B

irt

14 AUGUST 2016

After extensive touring, Josh Lovelace, Bear Rinehart, Bo Rinehart and Seth Bolt of Needtobreathe are

looking forward to releasing another album later this year.

Ph

oto

: Ry

an

An

de

rso

n

98five Music Director Chela Williams

When Needtobreathe landed in Australia for their first ever national tour with Third Day in 2015, the band’s gold-certified single Brother was gaining phenomenal success all over the world. Riding the wave of the song’s success destined a stop in every Australian capital city, including Perth, performing to thousand strong crowds and winning new fans.

news

Editor: Matt ChapmanManaging Editor: Andrew SculthorpeSubeditor: Maclain BruceProduction: Vanessa Klomp Creative: Hayley EmmettAdvertising: 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

ima

ge

sev

en

bc

w J

25

86

Needtobreathe’s hard love

Comprised of brothers Bear and

Bo Rinehart, Seth Bolt and Josh

Lovelace, the band then returned

home to begin writing and

recording the follow up to Rivers

in the Wasteland with Hard Love

to be released this year. Vocalist

and keyboardist Josh said Brother

is the band’s most personal song

to date.

“The song is special because

it’s about us and our relationships

with each other,” Josh said.

“Being in a band with brothers

has taught us that even when it’s

hard, family is more important

than any success or accolade that

we could ever achieve.”

The song was also released as

a remix featuring US pop artist

Gavin DeGraw.

“It was fun to collaborate with

a friend on something that means

so much to us,” Josh explained.

Since touring Australia in

2015, the South Carolina rock

group have been on the road

throughout the US in between

recording Hard Love.

“What we do on stage every

night is probably the most

important thing we do as a band,”

Josh confesses.

“The fact that people come

out to our shows to hear their

favourite song or one of their

favourite bands is super humbling

to us.”

Touring also inspires the

band to keep writing and creating

music.

“Without the live side of what

we do, we wouldn’t be where we

are today.”

“Touring dominated the

inspiration for Hard Love and

challenged the group to create in a

new and fresh headspace.”

“We have always been a band

that creates sounds in an organic

way, breaking rules to get the

sound we are chasing,” Josh said.

“On this record, we dove into

new sonic territory and tried to

push ourselves outside of what we

would normally do when writing

or recording music.”

“This is the most fun we’ve

ever had making a record and I

think you can hear that through

all the tracks.”

For more information, visit

www.98five.com/latest-music

Prices start from a low $260,000 for a spacious 2 bedroom unit and vendor finance on some units only might be

available, interest free

Retirement living in a peaceful semi-rural setting.

A distinct Christian environment sharing the encouragement and fellowship of like minded residents and staff

For more detailed information Contact

Johan de Klerk 0409 779 920 | 9243-1366

15AUGUST 2016

intermission

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

The Advocate – August 2016

watchA minute with ...

Cranbrook/Frankland River Baptist Church Pastor Jeff Jackson

What led you to this role?

I had a desire to ensure people knew about God’s love through Jesus and the

cross. As I pursued that aim through ‘uni’ ministry in Darwin and theological

college in Perth, I concluded that pastoral ministry in a local church was the best

means for me to achieve this aim. This eventually landed me in Cranbrook.

What is a feature of your church or ministry you’d like to share?

Their love and care for myself and my family. We experience the love of God

through their love for us.

Did anyone put you through an intentional plan for leadership development?

What was the plan?

Two Uniting Church ministers did! The first began by telling me it was my turn

to preach! The second had me watch what he did, discuss why he did it and what

else he could have done. He then had me try it myself and gave me feedback, for

almost three years.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the

first time?

Find a mentor with a very different personality and style to yours. It is a gold mine.

Ph

oto

: Je

ff J

ac

kso

n

RisenRisen follows the story of a centurion in

charge of keeping the peace in Jerusalem

at the time of the death of Jesus. Worn out

from the tiring role of keeping the Jewish

rabble in line, he is then charged with the

investigation of the disappearance of the

dead Jesus. Already questioning his lifestyle

and ambitiously looking to progress in the

ranks to return to Rome and leave the current

difficuties behind, he is now confronted with

logic versus his instinct as an investigator

while being pressured to close the case.

His enquiries uncover the unexplainable,

unexpected and supernatural and leaves him

with a bigger question – Is Jesus of Nazareth

really the Jewish Messiah – the Son of their

God – and what does this mean for him and

his spiritual beliefs?

Miracles from HeavenGet the tissue box out ready to see the true story

of a brave young girl and her family in Miracles

from Heaven. Anna is an energetic young girl

who becomes ill but is misdiagnosed and her

mother – knowing there is more – pursues

doctors for an explanation. When finally the

true cause comes to light there is still more

bad news with a lengthy wait for the only

doctor who is able to help. Along this journey

Anna shares her faith with other children

and families as they too deal with illness and

the prospect of death. Through a bizzare

accident Anna is miraculously cured and as

they share their miracle they are met with

disbelief by others in their church. This leads

to the discovery of the many miracles that God

was able to bring about as a result of Anna’s

illness and her faith in Him during her long

journey to health. Viewers can be inspired by

the revelation of how God can use any and all

circumstances to bring about good things in

the lives of those we touch.

Inspire: The Bible for creative journalingThe Inspire Bible is a brand new style of Bible

and one of the first of its kind in Australia.

Inspire is available in the popular New Living

Translation in single-column format. With

5cm wide margins lined for note taking and

400 beautiful line-art illustrated Bible verses

designed to be coloured as you sit, meditate

and memorise the words of God, it is created

for those who love both adult colouring and

creative journaling. This imitation leather

edition features a silky floral printed cover, with

quality cream pages as well as blue patterned

edges and a matching ribbon page marker. It

is designed to inspire the God given creativity

within a person as they flick through the pages.

However, there are other formats to choose

from including a teal hardback that has an

elastic to keep it closed when not in use.

Reviews by Koorong Mount Lawley

Assistant Manager

Dorothy Waddingham

Website: www.koorong.com

Address: 434 Lord Street, Mount Lawley

Phone: 08 9427 9777

read

16 AUGUST 2016

news

Bright start to the 2016 season

Caleb Douglas takes a corner kick in a Western Australian Christian

Football Association Under 10s game.

Ph

oto

: Mat

t C

hap

ma

n

conflict with their commitment

to attend church.

They found that the vast

majority of organised junior

competitions in Perth were

run on Sunday mornings.

Consequently, they saw a

need to provide competitive

soccer played on Saturdays

and the organisation was

born. From small beginnings,

the competition grew to

involve more than ten clubs

and around a 1,000 players

in its first decade. In 2010 the

name changed to the Western

Australian Christian Football

Association.

The vision of WACFA is to

provide access to high quality

organised football to every West

Australian family in a manner

that supports and encourages

active participation in all

aspects of Christian life and

community.

Football West Chairman

Liam Twigger commented in

the Football West Annual Report

Hundreds of excited junior

players and around 500 parents

and supporters gathered at

Ashfield Reserve to kick-off

the new season with a match

and the traditional club march

past. Western Australian

Christian Football Association

(WACFA) President Roger

Edland welcomed everyone to

the 2016 season and Football

West Chairman Liam Twigger

attended to bring greetings

from the broader football family

in WA and Australia, along with

the Member for Southern River

Peter Abetz.

WACFA Chaplain Philip

Watson opened the season

in prayer and all the players,

parents, coaches and

supporters were encouraged

to play and participate in a

manner that glorifies God.

Eight year old Jacob

Chapman from the Riverside

Christian Football Club looked

forward to the new season.

“I’m excited to start the new

season playing with friends

from school and getting out

onto the field today,” he said.

The Western Australian

Christian Football Association

currently has 12 clubs who are

part of the league with teams

ranging from Lake Joondalup

Baptist Church in the north to

Armadale Christian Football

Club in the south, with around

1,600 players in total involved

in the 2016 season.

Originally the Evangelical

Soccer Association of Western

Australia, WACFA began in

2000 with a number of families

wanting a soccer competition

for their children that did not

Brilliant sunshine, clear skies and an enthusiastic crowd were all on hand for the start of the 2016 Western Australian Christian Football Association season.

GiveWayBaptist Financial Services Australia Limited (BFS)

is delighted to announce the arrival of GiveWay!

Why use GiveWay?

• Provides a simple, effective and online method to make offerings and payments

• Promotes giving to churches with a direct link from your website

• Payments can be one off or re-occurring and for any period or frequency

• Tax receipts to donors for each financial year for tax deductible funds

The sole purpose of BFS is to resource, develop and enhance Christian ministry.Online Payment Portal

Baptist Financial Services Australia Limited (BFS) ABN 56 002 861 789 is incorporated as a public company, limited by guarantee. BFS is the holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFS Licence Number 311 062) issued by ASIC, which requires the company to meet a range of compliance and risk management conditions.

Contact UsPH 1300 650 542FAX 1300 784 699EMAIL giveway@bfs.org.auWEB www.bfs.org.au

2015 that “Never before have we

had so many people engaged

in our sport, whether through

playing, watching or talking

about the world game.”

“Football remains the

most popular sport in Western

Australia with more than

200,000 participants involved

in one form or another. This

is due in no small part to the

incredible work our clubs

and their respective

committees and volunteers

put in every week.”

Armadale Christian Football

Club President and Gosnells

Baptist Church Senior Pastor

Tony Spencer commented that

Gosnells Baptist Church and

the Football Club see this sport

as a wonderful way of reaching

people in their community with

the love of Christ.

For more information, visit

www.wacfa.com.au

... all the players, parents, coaches and supporters were encouraged to play and participate in a manner that glorifies God.