networking - churches of christ in queensland october networking_web.pdf300 words in ms word format...

networking

Bringing the light of Christ into communities

Rece

ive

Netw

orki

ngEm

ail A

lerts

SCAN

ME!

OCTOBER 2014

Chief Executive Officer’s

update

Child Protection Week

Mental illness in the

spotlight

Recognition for outstanding

retirement living managers

1000 customers find

refuge at The Well

Coming upCelebrate 2014 7&8 November

• Centrifuge• Annual General Meeting • Awards Dinnercofcqld.com.au/celebrate

TOOWOOMBA BEGINNINGS: THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD30

CONTENTSChief Executive Officer’s update ................................ 4

Celebrate 2014 ........................................................ 6

Child Protection Week .............................................. 8

Recognition for outstanding retirement living managers ......................................12

Adding some SALT on the Gold Coast ...................... 24

1000 customers find refuge at The Well ................... 26

In this edition of Networking, in recognition of R U OK? Day in September and Mental Health Week in October, you will read about mental illness, how it affects us, as well as how you can help someone who is struggling with their own mental health issues.

Our feature on page 10 explores mental illness, the facts, and how you can help someone who may be struggling simply by asking “are you okay?”.

Each one of us is impacted by mental health issues, be it our own or supporting a loved one or friend through a tough time. Sadly suicide also impacts too many of us each year. Churches of Christ in Queensland has established Access Place Psychology and Counselling Services which can assist people battling stress and mental illness. There are clinics at Springwood and Kenmore, and new clinics coming to Caloundra and Mitchelton shortly. Home visits and phone or Skype counselling are available to clients who live further afield.

In September we also recognised Child Protection Week. We are one of the largest non-government providers of child, youth and family services in Queensland, with approximately 2,800 children and young people cared for by 920 dedicated and compassionate foster and kinship carers. In this issue you can read about the Child Protection Week activities on the Fraser Coast and South West Brisbane, as well as the work of the Quilts for Care group who over the past eight years have made over 1,500 quilts for our children in care.

I would like to thank everyone who supported our Community Chaplains at the Connect 2014 fundraising dinner. It was a fantastic event with over 400 guests giving generously. You can read more about the event on page 14.

Celebrate 2014 – Centrifuge Conference, Annual General Meeting and Awards Dinner

Have you got your tickets for Celebrate 2014?

Join us for the Celebrate 2014 Weekend 7-8 November 2014 to appreciate and revel in being part of the Churches of Christ in Queensland community. Held at Brisbane City Hall, the weekend includes our three key annual events - Centrifuge Conference, the Annual General Meeting and the Awards Dinner.

Tickets for all or any of the specific events are available at cofcqld.com.au/celebrate and more detail can be found on the back cover of this edition of Networking.

For more information about the weekend, have a look at the story on page 6 and we look forward to seeing you at Celebrate 2014.

I hope you enjoy reading the stories in Networking as much as we are encouraged by the wonderful stories we have the pleasure of publishing in this publication.

Please send your articles, story ideas, photos and events to [email protected].

Desley Millwood Director of Communications

NUBEENA’S AWARD WINNING GARDENS36

QUILTS FOR CARE9

networking Communications Division Churches of Christ in Queensland 41 Brookfield Road Kenmore Qld 4069 PO Box 508 Kenmore Qld 4069

facebook.com/cofcqld

07 3327 1643 [email protected]

cofcqld.com.au

Networking is published bimonthly (February, April, June, August, October and December) and contains a variety of news and stories from across Churches of Christ in Queensland’s churches, mission and care services. Quality articles of no more than 300 words in MS Word format (.doc or .docx) are welcome to be submitted for possible inclusion in Networking. Articles should be accompanied by suitable image or images which must be sent as individual JPEG or TIFF files. Images should be sized at least 1500 x 2100 pixels, or 12.7 x 17.8 cm (5 x 7 in) with a resolution of at least 118 pixels/cm (300 dpi). Include your name, email address and phone number when sending articles and please include names of anyone in photos. Articles and images can be submitted to [email protected]. Submission deadline for the December 2014 edition of Networking is Friday 11 November.

networkingChurches of Christ in Queensland

page 3

I was recently privileged to open the Mackay Church of Christ Men’s Shed on Beaconsfield Road. The opening was a grand affair with jumping castle, free ice creams, speeches and many “Tim the Toolman” aspirants. The story of how the Mackay Men’s Shed came into being is a truly amazing one, thanks to the leadership of Myles

Waldron, Mackay Church of Christ Pastor, Mark Wall, Churches of Christ in Queensland Men’s Shed guru, and many others, together with much prayer, community fundraising and support.

The motto for the Men’s Shed is: “blokes building community”. What a great reason for existing! Mackay Regional Council Mayor Cr Deirdre Comerford spoke passionately at the opening about the importance of having places where men can come and connect with other blokes. The problems of social isolation and mental health amongst guys, particularly if unemployed, retired or doing it hard on the land, are significant. I was told there is at least one attempted suicide by men daily in the Mackay area. Other stats confirm that there are similar mental health problems across the country.

Mental health weekAs some readers would know, I have been a registered psychologist and member of the Australian Psychological Society for over 30 years. My interest and work in psychology, ministry and business has been a lifelong quest to understand, create and influence greater uplift, healing, freedom, life and purpose for individuals, groups and communities…how to transform lives for the better.

For me, the gospel is at the heart of this quest, for Jesus does provide a way that enables the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical development of each person.

All areas of Churches of Christ in Queensland work with children, youth, families, men and women and seniors and have this holistic framework overlaying them. Each has particular emphasis depending on the particular needs of the people we are interacting with.

Our Men’s Sheds, and other newer services such as our Access Place Psychology and Counselling Services, have arisen out of needs expressed by leaders throughout our organisation both in Queensland and in Melbourne. Our Strategic Action Leadership Teams continue to do great evangelistic work in determining local missional priorities and problem solving how best to meet the challenges.

I think it is fair to say that all of us involved in over 200 Kingdom Access Places throughout Churches of Christ in Queensland are making a real difference to the mental health of many thousands of people every week. Thank you!

Churches of Christ in Queensland Report CardFollowing the constitutional changes made at our 2009 Annual General Meeting, a new vision and strategic plan for Churches of Christ in Queensland and all areas of our work was developed by our Executive Team, Board and Council throughout 2010. My address at our 2010 Annual General Meeting set out a new mission statement and six strategic directions for re-building the organisation over the next five years.

At this year’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday 8 November, I will present a Report Card on the significant progress we have collectively made in forwarding our mission and strategic goals since 2010. There is much to thank God for and to celebrate. 2015-2018But, there is also much to challenge us as we look forward to the next three to five years. We are all being impacted by at least three major trends: Australians’ interest in Christianity and church affiliation continues to decline; our population is ageing faster than it is being replaced – which means collectively, fewer taxpayers, greater health costs and consequent major government policy challenges; and the influence of the internet, social media and mobile technology is profoundly transforming every field of endeavour – the model of delivering services from buildings is being substituted by services delivered on the go and into homes. Each of these macro trends is significantly impacting our local churches, care services and mission endeavours.

Chief Executive Officer’s update

Chief Executive Officer Dean Phelan

BOAR

D AN

D CO

UNCI

L TR

IP T

O T

OO

WO

OM

BA

Recently the Churches of Christ in Queensland Board and Council took a combined trip to visit some of our care services and churches in Toowoomba.

First stop at the bottom of the range was a visit to Withcott Early Childhood Centre and to Withcott Church of Christ.

We visited the Backyard Basement which is an op-shop ministry of Withcott Church of Christ that attracts many visitors from Toowoomba and Brisbane. Many say it’s the best op-shop around.

Next the group made a string of visits to Nubeena and NuMylo aged care and retirement living facilities and to our churches at HumeRidge, Toowoomba North and Highfields.

Highfields church is about to embark on transforming an existing house into a new church facility. The church will be a wonderful asset to the Highfields community.

Next the Board and Council visited the Rosella Gardens subdivision at Meringandan. This is an investment of Churches of Christ in Queensland which is proving to be very popular with many sites already sold and contracts being signed.

After a huge day, one cannot go without having dinner at Meringandan Hotel. They have the largest meals you’ve ever seen with not one Board or Council member able to eat everything on their plate.

The Board and Council said that it was great to connect and build relationships with each other and the site visits were very worthwhile. The Board and Council appreciate and thank the staff of the care services and churches along with the ministers and volunteers who took the time to come out to meet and greet them.

They would also like to thank the HumeRidge Church of Christ for lending their facilities to the Board for their monthly meeting.

Local churches will of course continue to wrestle with and pursue the best local strategies for being an effective fellowship and witness in their communities.

The Strategic Action Leadership Teams are providing for those who are interested, encouragement, collegiate work, new ideas, and mutual support. The question is: how can we encourage each other and work together to bring more of the light of Christ into our communities?

At a state level, Churches of Christ in Queensland Executive Team, Board, and Council have been examining what we need to build upon, and what we need to improve and change in response to the societal trends, so as to ensure we have an over-arching strategy for continuing to forward our mission in an exponentially growing way across all areas of our endeavour.

At November’s Annual General Meeting I will also present this collective thinking about key priorities and strategies for us as Churches of Christ in Queensland over the next three to five years. A number of regional conversations are being planned over the next six months, so that everyone who is interested can come and discuss the thinking. The Board’s aim is to have the next iteration of our Strategic Plan (2015-2018) in place before 30 June next year.

May God bless you and every reader.

Dean Phelan Chief Executive Officer [email protected]



page 4

page 5

Dress: Smart evening attire

The Awards Dinner brings church members, staff and volunteers together to celebrate our amazing achievements and cheer on some inspirational individuals and teams. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with the 20-piece Allan Brown Big Band playing the timeless classics from Frank Sinatra and the swinging Rat Pack era.

Winners of the Excellence in Service Awards, the Chief Executive Officer’s Special Recognition Awards and the Beryl Wiltshire Scholarship will be announced on the night. We will also recognise staff and volunteer’s years of service milestones.

All of these remarkable people are honoured for their contributions to the work of Churches of Christ in

Queensland and their commitment to bringing the light of Christ to individuals, families, groups and communities.

Ticket price includes a three-course meal and entertainment.

There will be no specific seat allocation for attendees at this year’s dinner. Individual tickets will be available for purchase and you will be free to sit where and with whom you would like. To ensure your whole team is seated together you will be able to book tables of eight either under your name or your service’s name. To book tickets for the Awards Dinner please visit cofcqld.com.au/celebrate

Book now at cofcqld.com.au/celebrate

it's time for

The heart of Centrifuge is found in gathering our church community together to share inspiration, stories and fellowship, generate discussion and improve interdenominational relationships. It also gives the opportunity for reflection, creative worship and to identify difficulties and create practical action plans.

What does Jesus do on weekdays?

“Work as if you would live 100 years, pray as if you might die tomorrow” – Benjamin Franklin

This November we will once again gather for our Centrifuge Conference. Centrifuge is a strategic time for members of the wider community of Christians who are committed to playing their role in ‘bringing the light of Christ into communities’.

As always there will be time for input, discussion, catching up, networking, reflection and contemplating what God is doing in and through Churches of Christ in Queensland.

Ash Barker, with his wife Anji and their children, have lived in Klong Toey, the largest slum in Bangkok for the past 12 years. Since early 2002, the Barkers have shared life there, developing poverty alleviation initiatives, local leaders and churches to transform the neighbourhood through Jesus.

Until October 2013, Ash was the founding director of Urban Neighbours Of Hope, which the Barkers started in Springvale (Melbourne, Aus) in 1993 and now has eight

teams of Christian workers loving God and neighbours in some of the neediest urban neighbourhoods in Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Bangkok.

After over 20 years leading and founding UNOH, the Barkers will step out of UNOH and Klong Toey to move to Birmingham, November 2014. The Barkers will again be immersed in the life of an urban poor neighbourhood - this time a Birmingham public housing estate - to seek transformation through Jesus.

This year’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday afternoon commencing at 1.30pm with the presentation of the

Annual Report and presentations from our Strategic Action Leadership Teams. Afternoon tea will be provided.

CENTRIFUGE CONFERENCEFriday 7 November 9.00am – 5.00pm Ithaca Auditorium, Brisbane City Hall

Friday 7 November 7.00pm – 8.30pm

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

FREE PUBLIC LECTURE WITH ASH BARKER

Saturday 8 November 1.30pm – 4.30pm Brisbane Room, Brisbane City Hall

AWARDS DINNERSaturday 8 November 6.30pm to late Main Auditorium, Brisbane City Hall

The theme for this Centrifuge is ‘What does Jesus do on weekdays? – Mobilising a new workforce’, and we will explore the concept of ‘vocation’ and how our unique, individual roles within society contribute to serving others and creating the kind of communities that Jesus imagined for the world. For those of us in leadership, we will spend considerable time working through how we train, support and release those in our churches and teams to really lean into their work and see it as a true ‘vocation’.

We invite you to make it a priority to attend this event as part of our Celebrate weekend and look forward to your contribution in helping us to ‘mobilise the mission workforce’.

We will also hear stories from a broad cross section of our own people.

SPEAKER – ASH BARKER



page 6

page 7

SUPERHEROES RULE THE DAYHeroes from the screen and community gathered on Thursday 11 September at Whitehill Church of Christ.

Child, Youth and Family Care South West Service Manager, Amanda Smith, said that “Foster carers are the heroes of the child protection system.”

“They were joined by heroes from our local community, Queensland Police Service, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue and the State Emergency Service,” Amanda said.

“We encouraged the children to dress up as their favourite superhero. It was a joyous event for them.

“The children were excited to meet the local emergency services and to get a close look at their vehicles and the special gadgets they have to fight crime and fires, and rescue people.

“They also enjoyed jumping castles, dancing to the DJ, a special sausage sizzle, and playing games,” she said.

“We also welcomed Ipswich Councillors, Charlie Pisasale and Andrew Antoniolli, who attended the event to show their support.”

FRASER COAST KIDS CARNIVALA fun and nonthreatening environment encouraged Fraser Coast residents to find out more about child protection.

Hundreds of kids and their parents gathered at Queen’s Park in Maryborough on Saturday 13 September for a free kid’s carnival to raise awareness about child safety.

Team Leader, Sharon Barber, said the community came out in force.

“We would have had a few hundred families come to the Queens Park to enjoy the Kids Carnival,” she said.

The event featured free jumping

castle, dodgem cars, merry go rounds, ambulance, police and fire vehicles open for kids’ exploration, face painting, beading, story telling, Indigenous craft, dance and music presentations.

“It was wonderful to see that the community as a whole got together to share something that is important to them…our children.”

Attendees received more information about Churches of Christ Care on the Fraser Coast.

In the Fraser Coast area, Churches of Christ Care supports over 100 foster and kinship carers, providing care to more than 170 children.

QUILTS FOR CAREThe ladies of the ‘Care to Quilt’ group are helping to make life a little easier for children in care, by giving them a comforting quilt, a symbol that they are not forgotten and that God does care for them.

Since they started in 2006, the group has created over 1,500 quilts for Churches of Christ Care.

Norma Sims and Judy Holt from Caloundra Church of Christ coordinate the group of ladies who love making quilts knowing they bring some light to the lives of children.

“I am thrilled we are able to bring extra joy into their lives and I hope the quilt will be a blessing to them,” Norma said.

Each fortnight the group of 22 ladies meets to show what they have been working on at home and to gather more supplies. The group completes about eight quilts each fortnight.

“The quilts provide comfort. They are something that the child owns. It is theirs to keep forever,” Norma said.

“So many of these young people have suffered in ways which we can only imagine and it gives those of us who

make the quilts great satisfaction to know our work is appreciated and helps them through these tough times.”

“We continually thank God for seeing that we always have the materials we need – sometimes we are convinced that they multiply in the storage cupboard. Some quilts will be entirely made by one person and others might have four or five ladies involved in the making. We have one person setting out appliques, another one sewing them, a third finding matching materials to put them together, a fourth to join them and finally one to quilt. Each person might not have all these abilities but when we put together the talents which God has given us, then beautiful creations come together and a child learns that there are people who care and a God who cares even more.”

Churches of Christ Care assists children and young people who are unable to remain living at home with their parents and is one of the largest non-government providers of foster and kinship care in Queensland, thanks to the support of 920 dedicated carers.

Churches of Christ Care provides foster and kinship care, and a range of other specialised services, to almost 3,000 children and young people each year.

WEEKCHILDPROTECTION



page 8

page 9

With Mental Health Week in October, Janette Phelan explores why it is important for people with a mental illness to receive treatment.

What would you do if you found out that 20 per cent of people around you were suffering a chronic illness or nursing an injury of some type? What if they refused to get medical help because they saw that as a sign of weakness? Sadly, this is the situation our society faces today with mental illness.

Mental Health Week (October 5-11) incorporates World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

One in five Australians battle some form of mental illness in any given year. Forty-five percent of Australians will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime. Of these, 65 per cent never seek professional treatment for their condition.

Some people believe their condition is not severe enough to warrant treatment and they don’t want to complain or to be a burden; others believe there is little that can be done to help them; many are ashamed and would prefer to hide the issues; some equate counselling or psychology to new age spiritualism; many see seeking help as a weakness and it is better to just tough it out and not complain.

Today, mental health diagnosis and treatment, like other forms of medicine, is a well-developed science. New treatments are evidence-based and very effective. Medications are more specifically targeted, faster-

acting and generally have few side effects. Modern psychotherapy brings about a noticeable improvement within two to three visits and usually only requires six to 10 visits in total. Psychotherapy focuses on learning to identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and developing new skills to manage the stresses and tough times in life.

Untreated mental illness takes a large toll on individuals, on their families and their friends, and on society. Fifty per cent of men battling mental illness will not seek treatment. But when left untreated, there is a high risk that the condition will continue to get worse. On average, six Australians die from suicide every day and a further 30 people will attempt to take their own life. Family and friends bear a huge burden in supporting people battling undiagnosed mental health conditions, often with no prospect of relief.

People suffering mental illness are disproportionately represented in prisons and amongst the homeless, alcoholics and drug addicts. Mental illness is now the leading reason for work absenteeism, with one in five people taking time off due to mental health issues in the past year, costing the Australian economy $20 billion annually in lost productivity and labour participation.

Suffering mental illness is like entering a long, dark tunnel. You cannot see your way out; options are limited; and the light is a long way off. Often it takes a concerned friend or family member to point you in the right direction, to show that there is a way out. With effective treatments come hope, healing and wholeness, and the opportunity to again fulfil your potential and your God-given purpose.

Our call is to bring the light of Christ into communities. For people battling the darkness of depression, chronic anxiety or other forms of mental illness, there can be no more effective way of doing this than to support them to get the help they need. With diagnosis and treatments come improved relationships, improved outlook and a chance to be a more productive, contributing member of society.

Churches of Christ in Queensland has established Access Place Psychology and Counselling Services to help bring light and hope to people battling stress and mental illness. We now have clinics at Springwood and Kenmore, with new clinics to commence in Caloundra and Mitchelton shortly. Home visits can be arranged to some care facilities and phone or Skype counselling is available to clients who live further afield.

If you know of someone who may benefit from Access Place Psychology and Counselling Services, you can obtain further information or make an appointment on 1300 798 622.

Mental illness in the spotlight Mental health – the numbers and factsTHE FACTS• 1 in 5 Australians will experience mental illness

every year - 1 in 4 people aged under 24• 3 million Australians experience depression or

anxiety• 1 in 6 people – 1 in 5 women and 1 in 8 men – will

experience depression at some stage in their life• Anxiety is the most common mental illness in

Australia with 1 in 4 people suffering • Every year in Australia, more than 65,000 people

attempt to take their own life and more than 2,200 people die by suicide

• Suicide kills three times as many men as women• Depression is one of the most common

conditions in young people and increases during adolescence.

BEHAVIOURAL SIGNS OF DEPRESSION• Not going out anymore• Not getting things done at work/school• Withdrawing from close family and friends• Relying on alcohol and sedatives• Not doing usual enjoyable activities• Unable to concentrate

SIGNS OF ANXIETY• Hot and cold flushes• Racing heart• Tightening of the chest • Snowballing worries• Obsessive thinking• Compulsive behaviour

HOW TO ASK “ARE YOU OKAY?”If your gut says something’s not quite right with someone, chances are that they might need a bit of extra support from the people around them. They might be acting a bit differently, seem to have a lot on their plate, or simply aren’t themselves. Don’t ignore those signs but instead take some time to start a conversation.

Asking this question doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers if the person you’re worried about says “no”. It’s not about being an expert. It’s about following some simple, caring steps. The below isn’t a script – they’re tips to help you ask from the heart.

ASK – R U OK?• Be relaxed• Help them to open up by

asking questions like “How are you going?” or “What’s been happening?” or “How have you been travelling?”

• Mention specific things that have made you concerned for

them, like “I’ve noticed that you seem really tired recently” or “You seem less chatty than usual. How are you going?”

LISTEN – WITHOUT JUDGEMENT• Take what they say seriously• Don’t interrupt• Encourage them to explain• Ask “How does it make you

feel?” or “how long have you felt that way?”

• If they get angry or upset, stay calm and don’t take it personally. Let them know you’re asking because you care and acknowledge that times seem tough for them.

ENCOURAGE – ACTION• Show that you’ve listened by

recapping• Help them think about one or

two things that can be done• Urge them to commit to doing

one thing that might help • If necessary, encourage

them to see a doctor or other professional. This is

particularly important if they’ve been feeling really down for more than 2 weeks.

FOLLOW UP• Put a note in your diary to call

them in one week. If they’re really struggling, follow up sooner

• Ask if they’ve managed to take that first step

• If they made the effort to talk to a professional and didn’t find it helpful, urge them to try a different professional because there is someone out there who can help them.

FURTHER INFORMATION RUOK Day – ruok.org.au Beyond Blue – beyondblue.org.au SANE Australia – sane.org Mental Health First Aid Australia – mhfa.com.au GET HELP Access Place Psychology and Counselling Services 1300 798 622 Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467



page 10

page 11

Churches of Christ Care is proud to have two winners in this year’s Property Council Retirement Living Manager of the Year 2014 awards: Joanne Antoni for Victoria/Tasmania and Jan Beutel for Queensland.

They are both now in the running to win the national award, which will be announced in Sydney in November.

Director of Care Services, David Swain said it is wonderful they have been recognised for the work they do.

“It is amazing, but unsurprising, that we have been recognised for having two star performers in the world of Retirement Living Management. It is great that others have recognised what we have known for some time,” he said.

Judene Creedy, Resident Services Manager, nominated Jo for the award after a wealth of positive feedback from residents was received by Churches of Christ Care.

“Although only being with Churches of Christ Care Retirement Living for three years, Jo has a vitality, competence and love for her residents that shines through her work,” she said.

Jo received her award at the Retirement Living Council Retirement Living Forum in August.

With her team, Jo seeks to empower residents to lead lives in an environment of choice, trust and transparency.

“Each year Jo organises a Christmas food drive to create hampers for residents, who without this assistance would potentially face hardship. Residents in Arcadia Apartments were also instrumental in helping raise over $27,000 to update the courtyards,” Judene said.

Jo believes that it is due to the organisation and the culture it fosters amongst residents and staff that has lead her to receive the award.

“Churches of Christ Care empowers residents to lead lives in an environment of choice, trust and transparency,” she said.

Jo manages Churches of Christ Care’s four retirement villages in Victoria – Arcadia Apartments, Bethany Close, Emmaus Lodge and Grant St, Oakleigh.

Jan Beutel was awarded for her management of Nubeena, Amaroo and Crows Nest Retirement Villages on the Darling Downs.

Jan is passionate about her residents and their lifestyle, health and wellbeing in the villages. Her residents hold her in the highest regard thanks to the changes she has made that show she cares about their needs and their experience of village life.

David Swain thanked Jan for her tireless work that has be recognised by this award.

“Many thanks for the hard work, long hours, dedication to task regardless of injury/adversity, and your ‘can do’ attitude in supporting colleagues and travelling the countryside at a moment’s notice,” he said.

General Manager Retirement Living, Kim Teudt, said that she could not be prouder of what Jo and Jan have achieved.

“It is such a wonderful achievement to have not one, but two award winning Retirement Living Managers recognised for the work they do everyday for their residents.”

“On behalf of everyone at Churches of Christ Care I congratulate Jan and Jo for winning these awards and wish them the best at the national awards later this year.”

OUTSTANDINGRecognition for

retirement living managers

Jean and Ray Kelly married 70 years ago in Essendon and have been virtually inseparable ever since.

The couple celebrated their platinum anniversary recently at a special lunch at Churches of Christ Care Arcadia Aged Care Service, where Jean is a resident.

The pair met in 1941 when Ray was working at the airport base at the Melbourne Showground, near to where Jean was living.

“They were inseparable,” their only child, Jennifer Kelly, said.

“They went everywhere together, caravanning and playing golf.”

Ray served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II and then spent the next 34 years working at Australian National Airlines, which later became Ansett.

Jean worked at Laconia Woollen Mills making blankets for the armed services during the war.

Both Jean and Ray were keen golfers, playing well into their 80s.

Jean and her sister Betty, who was her bridesmaid seven decades ago, are both residents at Arcadia.

Clinical Services Manager, Narelle Grech, said that it was a lovely celebration for the couple.

“It was a wonderful day enjoyed by residents, visitors and staff at Arcadia. A number of staff came in on their own time to assist and join in the festivities. I also received a very complimentary email from their daughter expressing her thanks,” she said

Congratulations Jean and Ray on achieving so many loving years together.

Photo credit: Michael Copp, Metro Media Publishing

Terry Macdonald, President of the Australian Retirement Village Residents’ Association with Victorian award winner Jo Antoni

Kim Teudt, General Manager of Retirement Living with Queensland award winner Jan Beutel


page 13


page 12

On Friday 5 September the Connect 2014 fundraising dinner gathered representatives from industry, business and churches to raise funds to continue the vital work of our Community Chaplains.

The fundraising dinner is an annual event, and this year we focussed on our Community Chaplains to raise much needed funds. The event which was held at the Royal International Convention Centre at the Brisbane Showgrounds, raised $107,844 for our Community Chaplains to support people in local communities and those in our housing services.

Over 400 people attended the star studded event led by emcee and radio personality Ian Skippen, who kept the party rolling.

International sportsman, businessman and philanthropist John Bertrand AM was guest speaker, giving an inspirational talk about the planning and successful challenge of the America’s Cup by his team on racing yacht Australia II. The room was in awe as he spoke of the adventures with luminaries such as Bob Hawke and Alan Bond and his current role assisting the Australian Swim Team go for gold at Olympic and Commonwealth Games. His adventures and speech led to the message that for something to be successful that people need to truly connect with each other.

Party band Vegas Please entertained the room during dinner followed by a variety of party numbers that had the dance floor well and truly packed until the end of the night.

Helping to raise funds on the night was a silent auction that featured a variety of Australian sporting memorabilia, art works and even a weekend in a sports car. A giant Connect Four game to match the Connect 2014 theme proved to be popular, with a number of tables competing to have the most Connect Four pieces at the end of the night.

fundraising dinner supporting our Community Chaplains

Connect 2014 Desley Millwood, Director of Communications, said that the event was a success in a number of ways.

“To gather over 400 people at a fundraising dinner in a challenging economic environment is a feat in itself,” Desley said.

“For those attendees to give so generously, and many continuing to give, speaks volumes for the support of Churches of Christ in Queensland and our Community Chaplains and the work they do everyday.”

“On behalf of Churches of Christ in Queensland I’d like to thank all those who gave, attended, entertained and worked behind the scenes to make the Connect 2014 fundraising dinner such a great success.”

The event was made possible with the valuable support of sponsors and benefactors Ashburner Francis, Wilder Constructions, Ashdale Workplace Solutions, Deicke Richards, Mirvac Queensland and Bidvest.

Particular thanks go to gold sponsors Grafex and DMS, silver sponsors Thomson Adsett and Fire Service Professionals and bronze sponsors Paxton-Hall Lawyers, Tunstall, Bunzl and Downtown Toyota.

Community Chaplains support individuals and families facing serious issues such as homelessness, mental illness, poverty, domestic violence, family breakdown and unemployment. Thanks to the support from the event, Community Chaplains can now focus on the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of those they connect with, bringing hope, love and strength for a new beginning.

You can support our Community Chaplains campaign by making a donation via phone 1800 600 900 or email [email protected].



page 14

page 15

Finding your fit in life’s second half was the theme across the three Fresh Horizons Conferences held in August in Tauranga New Zealand, Cairns and Brisbane.

This year’s keynote speaker was Phil Potter from the UK, who focused on the role of over-50s in the fresh expressions of church and leadership that are emerging globally. In many places it is those in life’s second half who are creatively leading the church in the 21st century to connect effectively with the community.

Each conference had its own distinctive activities, including presentations, interactive workshops and targeted small group bible studies for over-50s.

A feature of the Brisbane conference held at the Churches

of Christ Campus at Mitchelton was the Generations Panel made up of representatives from five generations. The panel fielded questions relating to the unique contribution each generation can bring to the church and the community.

This was the first time Fresh Horizons has hosted a conference in Cairns at The Lakes Church and the local interest and support was fantastic.

Fresh Horizons is a kingdom focused ministry and is part of Churches of Christ in Queensland’s second half of life ministries. The conferences brought together delegates from six denominations, from the north and south island of New Zealand, and from three Australian states.

in life's second halfFINDING YOUR fit

Kallangur kids give books to kids in PNGThe children of Churches of Christ Care Early Childhood Centre at Kallangur are sending their excess books to help children in Papua New Guinea.

As part of their annual book fair, children at the Early Childhood Centre at Kallangur were asked to bring in their old books to donate to local initiative, Books 4 PNG Kids.

Service Manager, Cassandra Dinte, said there was a great response to the call for books.

“We thought it would be a lovely way to share resources that the centre has in abundance, which generally come to us through donations from families,” she said.

“In no time we had over 150 books, and we still expect more to come in.”

Heather Doonan from Books 4 PNG Kids attended the service for a special handover of the donated books, and a special present from the children.

“We donated a special copy of the classic Australian children’s book, Possum Magic, by Mem Fox, along with a care package filled with all the Australian items that feature throughout its pages, as a special gift for the Papua New Guinea children so they can learn a little more about Australia,” Ms Dinte said.

Books 4 PNG Kids set up a display at the centre to educate the children about where their books were going.

“As part of the book drive, the children learnt about Papua New Guinea and the children who live there, and were fascinated. Books 4 PNG Kids lent artefacts and photos which gave the children a greater understanding of our nation’s closest neighbour.”

Books 4 PNG Kids sources books from schools, churches and other organisations to send to children in Papua New Guinea’s remote highland and coastal villages where books are in short supply and the education system is inadequate.

The Kallangur centre is one of 22 licensed and accredited early childhood services owned and operated by Churches of Christ Care .

While Christian values of kindness and acceptance are reflected in the supportive, loving environment created for the children, all Churches of Christ Care early childhood services are non-denominational and celebrate cultural diversity.

The third annual Church Together Lockyer event took place on Sunday 31 August, with ten local Lockyer Valley churches taking part including Ma Ma Creek and Gatton Church of Christ churches.

Pastor Barry Benz said “this event, founded on prayer, is well worth the months of planning. The annual event celebrates the unity and ministry of Christ’s church in our valley.”

There were lots of family friendly activities, including a jumping castle, face painting, craft, petting zoo, bubble blowing, a wandering illusionist, and puppet performances which kept folk engaged in perfect weather.

Sausages sizzled, coffee brewed, free ‘Church Together’ balloons and show bags with kids booklets, and church information and literature were given away. School chaplains hosted an information stand.

Brendan Walmsley and band (from HumeRidge Church of Christ) entertained the crowd, with old gospel songs and modern classics alike sweeping the audience along enthusiastically.

Speaker Karl Faase from Sydney proved a consummate communicator, sharing from the life of William Wilberforce and the ‘God of Second Chances’.

Church Together Lockyer

So what did the participants say about the Conferences:

“The Generations Panel was a highlight for me”

“The music sessions were great”

“New ideas were valuable”

“Top speakers and relevant topics”

“Well ordered conference with a good balance of subjects and lighter breaks”

“Praise the Lord for this ministry”

“I think I found my fit”.

“Fantastic food and care”



page 16

page 17

Taking the first step towards ministry with ACOMStephen Parker explains that before considering studying ministry, take the first step and gain ministry experience.

So, you feel called by God to ministry. What now?

God has a funny way of doing that doesn’t He? We see in scripture that Jesus tells His followers to pray for workers for the harvest. Lots of people obey that command and pray and then - something happens. Suddenly you start getting the sense that you are part of the answer to these prayers, that God wants you to be one of those harvest workers, and God has some mission for you to accomplish.

Where do you start?

Now, I work for ACOM, the Australian College of Ministries, so my answer is meant to be that you need to sign up with ACOM and complete some kind of formal training. We’re great, I’ll tell you. We’ll love you and you’ll be trained into someone ready for amazing life-changing service: maybe, but not yet.

There is something else that comes first. Two words - ministry experience. Before you even consider some kind of ministry training (and when you do get to that point, ACOM really will be quite helpful), the first step is to make sure that you are serving in some kind of ministry. We can work with you and get you a diploma or graduate certificate or whatever you want, but in the end a “piece of paper” is not going to be all that helpful for you – at least not without that ministry experience.

Imagine for a moment that you are part of a selection panel at your church and you are looking for a Children’s Ministry worker. A candidate sends in his or her resume and says they have a Bachelor of Divinity with consistent credits. You’re interest is piqued, and then you look at their ministry experience where you discover they have never served in Children’s Ministry, no experience in leading volunteers, no behaviour management, no leading groups or public speaking. How impressed are you with the degree now?

If you feel called to ministry, the most important thing is that you get started serving now. You don’t need a degree to serve God. However, you are not going to be given higher ministry responsibility without evidence that you have handled other ministries already.

So, try serving somewhere. Give something a go. Explore an area of ministry you may not have considered before. See if there is a need that you could fill, or something that stirs your passions.

How is God leading you?

Once you are actually doing something, you will start to get an idea of where your skills and passions lie. It’s then that training might start to be helpful, as you discover that developing more skills and knowledge can be helpful. That’s when we can have that talk.

Stephen Parker [email protected] 0410 614 894

An exciting new initiative has been launched to encourage new and old endeavours in mission and ministry. To be named the Hindmarsh Church of Christ Centre for Mission and Ministry, this nationally focused centre intends to mobilise strategic leadership, research and the story of who we are as a frontier, restoration people for mission and ministry.

An initiative of Stirling Theological College, the Churches of Christ federal college, this new centre has attracted widespread interest and support. Approximately $750,000 has already been generated from individuals across Australia to house the centre physically as well as online.

It is intended that the centre will mobilise leaders, teachers, practitioners and students for the aims of unity, New Testament Christianity, and the

encouragement of all people in ministry and mission. Not all programs at the centre will be formal teaching programs of Stirling College. Many initiatives will include seminars, online discussions, pamphlets and publications. Over time, a website will be launched and hopefully conversations will stimulate renewed vision for our movement from this centre.

A construction phase is soon to commence at Mulgrave in Melbourne. We will keep you posted as further, exciting plans unfold. Please direct all enquiries to Dr Andrew Menzies at Stirling College on [email protected].

New national Churches of Christ Centre for Mission and Ministry launched

Beth needs someone just to chat with.

Any volunteers?

1300 760 622 care.cofcqld.com.au

Social isolation is a serious problem for elderly people, with disabled people over the age of 65 spending 85 per cent of their waking time alone.Our Social Circle is a group of people of all ages who live in your neighbour-hood and work together to reconnect seniors with their communities.You don’t need any training – we will provide it for you. You don’t need to commit to regular times either – you can nominate the days and times that work best for you.

Call or email us today!

[email protected]



page 18

page 19

“Any program that challenges us to look outside of our own area of focus is beneficial. The opportunity to have a helicopter view of Churches of Christ in Queensland would go a long way in working towards shared and integrated servicing across and within care service streams” – David Swain.

Staff from across Churches of Christ in Queensland have been given the chance to find out what it is really like working in the Care Services Division thanks to a new initiative.

Connecting with Care is a two-day program that takes Head Office and support staff on a tour of some of the care services, giving them the opportunity to shadow staff as they go about their daily job.

Director of Care Services, David Swain, said that Connecting with Care is a chance to remember what we do as an organisation.

“At Churches of Christ in Queensland we work to ensure all staff are connected with each other and the communities we work with – including those in our head office. This is not an easy job. We do many things in many places to bring the light of Christ into communities, and we can get caught up in our own areas, losing sight of the big picture and what each other is doing,” he said.

Connecting with Care is a new program being trialled to get staff to step out of their day-to-day work and experience the work of others in our care services.

“Over the two days, participants shadow staff within the care facilities on activities such as

cleaning, maintenance, lifestyle therapy, humour therapy, and community lunches. Staff meet, talk and laugh with colleagues, volunteers and residents, and attend presentations from the various care service streams. Participants also get to know each other better as they are bussed around our services. Connecting with Care provides an opportunity to truly experience what it

is like in the world of care.”

“So far the feedback from staff on tour has been overwhelmingly positive. It has given staff a greater understanding of what a Churches of Christ Campus is, our integrated community philosophy and our commitment

to client focussed service. Our goal is that staff will come away with a heightened awareness of how their own position within Churches of Christ in Queensland impacts and facilitates the work of our care services,” he said

Comments from staff who have completed the activity:

“Very worthwhile – would definitely recommend it to all staff, both head office and also care staff and

management”.

“It was great to see first-hand how our values are lived through the respect and care we show to those we work with”.

“I believe the program worked well and would be most beneficial

to the newer member of Churches of Christ in Queensland – they should attend the program within the first six months of employment”.

At the end of 2014, Connecting with Care will be evaluated and recommendations around the program’s future will be presented to our Executive Team.

Connecting with Care A little present on the doorstepA gift left on the doorstep is making life easier for residents of Fassifern.

Three very talented residents of Churches of Christ Care Fassifern Retirement Village combined their skills to create gifts for their fellow residents that would make life easier for everyone.

It all started when resident George Cochrane began delivering the village’s mail. It has always been the custom for residents to deliver the local newspapers and internal mail, and when George volunteered his services to assist Beryl Stone with delivery rounds, he discovered that something was missing.

George got to work in his garage, making little timber boxes for each unit. At a little table with a handsaw, drill, glue and nails he worked away at assembling the special little boxes.

Two of his fellow residents, Gwen Tavener and Dorothy Leftley, joined the project, decorating each box with beautiful unique designs.

Retirement Living Manager, Maureen Wilson, noticed the new additions appearing on the doorstep of each unit. She investigated where they had come from and what they were for, and discovered that this little gift had made a big difference in the lives of many of the residents.

“We all want and need a sense of belonging; to have friends to visit, listen and know your stories; and to feel part of a community where you have worth and your opinions are valued. These little boxes have started conversations among residents and been a catalyst in developing friendships. They have healed the pain and grief that can occur when transitioning into ‘village life’, and created independence for residents whose challenge may be to collect their mail,” she said.

“George, Gwen and Dorothy have created gifts which will continue to enhance their community. In return, these three wonderful people have been blessed in their graciousness.”

Proverbs 11:22 A generous person will prosper; Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.



page 20

page 21

On any given night there are about 6,000 people homeless on the Gold Coast.

Churches of Christ Care Lady Small Haven Aged Care Service Manager, Pam Robson, said a group of residents saw a news article about the number of homeless people on the Gold Coast and decided they wanted to do something to help them.

“The Lady Small Haven ladies group was moved when they heard about the plight of our city’s homeless and decided to raise money to support them,” she said.

“With winter on the way, the ladies group set themselves the goal to raise enough money to fund 10 swags for local Gold Coast charity, Rosies – Friends on the Street.”

Rosies – Friends on the Street provides support for the homeless and people in need, and give swags to homeless people to protect them from the elements when they sleep.

“The ladies were ecstatic when they surpassed their goal, and raised $2,000, enough for 14 swags,” Pam said.

At a special event on Monday 25 August, they presented the cheque to Rosies – Friends on the Street Manager, Troy Bailey.

Lady Small Haven Aged Care Service at Benowa is a 107-bed residential aged care facility catering for low and high care needs in a loving, friendly, supportive and resident-driven environment.

For more information about Rosies – Friends on the Street, go to rosies.org.au.

Sleeping rough for a causeA group of young people from Redcliffe Church of Christ’s Ignite Youth Team were also moved by the plight of homeless people on the peninsula and decided to sleep rough to raise money for swags for the homeless.

The group endured low temperatures and tough conditions to benefit local charity, Circle of Hope, who, like Rosies – Friends on the Street, provide swags for the homeless.

Their cold night out raised $1,500 for the charity.

Fore!!!

Residents of Churches of Christ Care Bribie Island and Woorim Retirement Villages participated in the first Village Golf Day competition between other residents and management.

Retirement Living Manager, Katherine Falzon, said that it was the residents’ idea for the golf day.

“Many of the residents are keen golfers and play competitively as current members of the Woorim Golf Club,” she said.

The day included a morning round of the nine-hole Ambrose game, which is a more inclusive and fun game of golf that allows varying skill levels to play together.

First Village Golf Day success

Ladies of Lady Small Haven help homeless

“The competition was strong on the day; they definitely enjoyed playing against management, but the laughter and talking amongst the competitors surpassed it,” Katherine said.

After the round, the group enjoyed lunch in the club along with prizes, which were donated by a fellow resident.

“The residents are eager to make it a yearly event and hope that next year even more residents will get out their buggies and play,” Katherine said.

“Golf is a great way for older people to remain fit and active, regardless of ability, and the golf day gave residents the opportunity to get out and socialise and have a laugh.”



page 22

page 23

The Gold Coast Strategic Action Leadership Team (SALT) is a group of leaders from the local church and care services who work together to bring the light of Christ into the community.

Gold Coast SALT member and Mission Action Partner, Bruce Murray, has been spearheading the Gold Coast SALT and building relationships with the community.

“We have a number of strategic goals which have been determined, one of which is a strong focus on encouraging and establishing places where the Kingdom of God can be both tangible and accessible to people in their networks and/or neighbourhoods,” he said.

The Gold Coast SALT has a diverse reach into the local community.

There are currently connections into the affordable housing sector, aged care facilities, and the local hospital.

“We have reached out to an op-shop, we provide meals for homeless/families in need, have a presence at the Gold Coast university student village, as well as joining with people in the local suburbs with a missional vision that connects through community barbecues, provides food relief, and we gather groups around various common interests,” Bruce said.

“These types of communities that have a missional

vision provide various levels of engagement as they develop and fashion themselves into fresh expressions of what church might look like in their respective communities.”

“We actively look to partner with churches, Churches of Christ Care services, and other community organisations who welcome us to help,” he said.

“One example is with a group who work with the women’s shelters. Currently we are providing practical support with the view to empower the women with particular skills that they need, including healthy cooking, budgeting, how to present themselves in court, parenting skills and more.”

“Another area is the Gold Coast Hospital where we are preparing a team to provide practical assistance with families of victims of high trauma in south east Queensland and northern New South Wales.”

Churches of Christ in Queensland has developed a clustering framework to facilitate partnerships, networks, and the creation of common mission action strategies that will most effectively deliver results for each community.

Critical to the success of this endeavour are our Strategic Action Leadership teams drawn from the leaders of our local churches, care services, senior management team, and community groups who work collaboratively to develop the strategies and actions for each cluster.

Importantly, each Strategic Action Leadership Team identifies and supports viable pioneering opportunities for expressions of mission. They guide and support our Mission Action Partners, community chaplains and their support teams, and acts as the reference point and steering group for their cluster.

Murgon men receive the keys to their new shedThe men of Murgon officially have a men’s shed to call their own.

Rather than remain an unused government building right in the heart of Murgon, 270 km north-west of Brisbane, the historic old railway building has been handed over to council to become a vibrant hub for men to work on their hobbies and catch up with mates.

Churches of Christ in Queensland Mission Action Partner, Mark Wall, worked with the Murgon community to start up the much needed men’s shed.

“Men’s sheds are lifesaving stations in our community,” Mark said.

“Men are generally not social creatures, so a men’s shed creates an environment where socialisation is easy and experiences can be shared. This results in positive health outcomes for men.”

For the past seven years the men have been meeting in their backyards across the town.

“The growth of men’s sheds around Australia testifies to their benefits – there are currently 1,000 men’s sheds in our country and their number grew by 300 per cent in the last 18 months.

“With Churches of Christ in Queensland, I work with men to ensure the sustainability of their men’s sheds. Unless we have supported premises, the men’s sheds can become too difficult to sustain,” Mark said.

Pastor Glen Vonholf and other church members of the Murgon Church of Christ have become keen members of the Murgon Men’s Shed, understanding that becoming intimate with participants is another excellent opportunity to bring the light of Christ into their community.

Mark intends to continue working beside the Murgon Men’s Shed as a men’s shed coach, as well as assisting the Murgon church to develop a stronger community and missional service with the men’s shed.

Adding some SALT good for the Gold Coast



page 24

page 25

On Monday 20 January 2014, The Well opened its doors to the public. The purpose of The Well is to provide a place of peace and rest for people needing a break from the stress associated with attending the Nambour Hospital.

Just short of eight months later on Monday 15 September, The Well’s thousandth visitor walked through the door.

The volunteer staff were ready to celebrate with the very special customer, and a small gift was given to mark the occasion.

Mission Action Partner, Kevin Hamer, who helped establish The Well, reflects on this milestone and thanks God for the ones and twos that make up that one thousand people.

“Every Monday to Friday, the doors open for only four hours, yet God keeps sending people to find rest and refreshment at The Well. This place truly is a kingdom access point as visitors find the support, care and love they need at that moment in their lives,” Kevin said.

“Emotions from sadness and fear, to joy and relief are being experienced by the visitors.”

In response to these emotions, the volunteers at The Well practise the ministry of presence, provide a safe place for those emotions to be expressed, and believe God will do His work in their midst.

One point of celebration amongst the volunteers is that over recent times, many visitors have taken a ‘holding cross’ (pictured) with them when they leave. Holding crosses are small, handmade wooden crosses that are designed to be held in times of grief and crisis.

The holding crosses are a tangible method of connecting with God in a time when words may be hard to express. It has been a highlight to see so many people choosing them when offered.

The Well now has volunteers from four churches on the Sunshine Coast, and is hoping for more. Please pray that as people find love, care and support at The Well, that they will be drawn to God himself.

1,000 CUSTOMERS FIND REFUGE AT THE WELL

A bequest, however small or large, is a legacy of love. It stands as a monument to the values you hold dear.

The Christian beliefs and faith we hold in this life are passed down to future generations so that they too may know the love of Jesus and continue His work. Through a bequest to Churches of Christ in Queensland you can continue to strengthen God’s kingdom and ensure its growth into the future for the bene�t of generations to come.

Whatever the purpose of the gi and whatever the amount, Churches of Christ in Queensland treats every gi with the utmost diligence and respect. You can be assured that your bequest will be used for the growth of the kingdom of God.

Churches of Christ in QueenslandPO BOX 508 Kenmore, Qld 4069cofcqld.com.au1800 600 900

For further information contact Lindsay Stokes, Manager Bequests and Major Gi�s.

BEQUESTS MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE GROWTH OF GOD’S KINGDOM

A lifelong commitment to the rehabilitation of penguins continues for Helen Willett, who is part of Bundaberg Community Care’s Penguin Knitting Group.

Helen, and fellow Bundaberg Community Care client Sybil Macdonald, knit small jumpers for penguins affected by oceanic oil spills.

The Bundaberg Community Care Program supports the group, encouraging clients to remain active and continue with their interests.

The knitted penguin jumpers are sent to the Australian based Penguin

Foundation to help save penguins. If penguins are exposed to oil it separates and mats their feathers, allowing water to reach their skin, resulting in the penguins dying from exposure and starvation.

By wearing little knitted jumpers, the penguins are not only kept warm, they are also unable to preen and swallow the toxic oil before they are washed and the oil is removed (Penguin Foundation).

Despite being visually impaired, Helen knits the jumpers thanks to the help of her friend Thelma. Thelma reads the pattern and checks Helen’s knitting progress.

Knitting jumpers for penguins



page 26

page 27

It was a moment of elation when the new pool table arrived at Churches of Christ Care Sanctuary Park Retirement Village, in Nambour.

“It’s here at last,” one of the residents cried when the new pool table was delivered.

“We’ve waited for this for five years,” another exclaimed.

“And isn’t it a nice one. I love the colour.”

Sanctuary Park residents are savouring their new toy after having fought long and hard for it to become a reality.

Retirement Living Manager, Russell Elms, said he spent many hours of his misspent youth playing pool and snooker.

“I understand the value that a pool table can add to village life and activities. I believe every resident should have at least one activity within village life that they really enjoy doing and the pool table will help to meet that requirement,” he said.

“The pool table will be the catalyst to start a men’s social group where the men of the village can meet together in a non-threatening environment over a ‘cold one’ to discuss men’s things and generally support each other.

Several passionate pool playing residents were given the task of selecting the most appropriate table for the village. Russell believes they have

made the right choice.”

Residents rack up on long awaited pool table

Human trafficking is the recruitment or movement of a person by deception or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. People are bought and sold for sexual exploitation, forced labour, street crime, domestic servitude or even the sale of organs and human sacrifice.

It is the world’s fastest growing global crime and is one of the largest sources of income for organised crime, for whom the profits are high and the risks are low.

There are things as individuals we can do to help reduce the need for human trafficking, including by being aware of what we eat (over a third of the world’s chocolate comes from cocoa plantations in West Africa, where boys as young as 10 are trafficked to pick and harvest the beans) and also what we wear (200,000 young women and girls are trafficked to work in the cotton industry in Tamil Nadu region of India).

Janet Woodlock, Federal Coordinator, Churches of Christ in Australia:

“Over 200 years ago the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was passed through the British Parliament, thanks to the tireless advocacy of William Wilberforce and other concerned Christians. It is almost beyond belief that in the 21st century millions of people across the world are still pressed into the horrors of slavery. This gross injustice summons us to respond as Christians of old did with our prayer, advocacy, action, and purchase choices. Supporting Freedom Sunday is one way to raise awareness of the continued scourge of human slavery, and to unite Christians to work toward its abolition.”

Freedom Sunday in Australia is a partnership between Not for Sale and STOP THE TRAFFIK.

For more information about Freedom Sunday and human trafficking, including church resources, visit stopthetraffik.org/campaign/freedomsunday

Correspondence received from a Sanctuary Park resident,

Good morning Kim and Russell,

On behalf of all the pool players at Sanctuary Park, I wish to express our thanks and appreciation for your efforts and support in enabling the pool table for Sanctuary Park to become a reality.

The table is now in place and several games have already been enjoyed. All comments received from residents have been positive.

The doubters, who previously expressed concerns about the amount of space that would be taken up, have suddenly become very silent.

Once again, many thanks.

Warm regards, Col Sims

Freedom Sunday is a global day of worship, prayer and action to stop the crime of human trafficking.

On Sunday 19 October, churches all over the world will join together to raise awareness of the crime of human trafficking and show the world our compassion for men, women and children who are trafficked and exploited.

What is human trafficking?

Sanctuary Park’s very classy pool table



page 28

page 29

Churches are vulnerable in their early years. One example is of a church that began with 18 members and four years later had grown to over 50 members. Yet a mere decade later, there were no longer enough members to meet due to people having to move from the local area. For two years, the church suspended meetings. You would think that the end of that church had come.

One man, P J Pond, convinced a handful of others to meet, and a few years later the church boasted over 40 members, and was on its way to becoming a hub of evangelism, church planting and compassionate ministry in the area. From seemingly barren ground, fruit was borne that has continued to impact the Churches of Christ in Queensland.

That brief early church history describes the first 20 years of the Toowoomba Church of Christ, which held its first service on October 22 1882. This service was almost a ‘who’s who’ of the pioneer evangelists in Queensland. F W Troy presided at communion, J H Johnson (who had won Troy over to the Churches

Toowoomba beginnings: The faithfulness of GodFollowing the positive response to last year’s publication, The Church from the Paddock, a History of Churches of Christ in Queensland 1883 – 2013, which marked 130 years of the organisation’s presence in Queensland, further research into some of the inspirational stories and milestones that helped build our collective DNA is currently underway. In this edition of Networking we are provided with a glimpse of the early days of Toowoomba Church of Christ which provided the foundations for the flourishing HumeRidge and Toowoomba North Church of Christ churches.

of Christ cause in 1876) read the Scriptures along with S H Draney, and the preacher was no less than the famed evangelist, Stephen Cheek, fresh from baptising four of the new congregation the previous day. Draney would speak of this day almost 50 years later at the opening of the Margaret Street building, saying “little did I think then that the church would be one day meeting in such a place as this, or that I would one day be standing before an audience such as we have tonight.”

The legacy of the first meeting in the Temperance Hall in 1882 is now obvious, with thriving churches at HumeRidge and Toowoomba North, and numerous other church plants emanating out of Toowoomba. Mylo House is another lasting legacy of the ministry of the churches, as are the numerous missionaries that emerged from the Toowoomba area.

In 1898, when P J Pond convinced a small group to once again meet as the Toowoomba Church of Christ, one wonders what

was said. His words helped the church ‘restart’ and grow once again. The faithfulness and foresight of those early pioneers is to be noted – as is the faithfulness of God. Draney, in whose house the Toowoomba church would begin meeting again, said in 1932, “Much has been said about remaining faithful for 50 years; but it is not really remarkable. It is just that God has kept His promise, ‘I will uphold thee’.” It is easy to see the fruit, and sometimes neglect the deep roots that have produced it.

Through bright beginnings, worrying lows, and renewed energy – the early history of the Churches of Christ in Toowoomba is a testament to the faithfulness of God. If S H Draney and P J Pond were to walk along the streets of Toowoomba and see the impact that the ministries of the Churches of Christ in Queensland have now, one wonders again at what they might say.

Toowoomba Conference 1911

Margaret Street 1930s

J H Johnson

F W Troy and B C Black Stephen Cheek



page 30

page 31

Experiencing the Good News of Thai ChurchesThe Plang church in Thailand is rapidly growing. The community has a very low level of income, yet they have supported the establishment of a new chapel with about 80 people taking part.

Such warmth was experienced in the welcome and hospitality extended to us by all the pastors and their families in District 11, as well as the general community that we visited in Thailand.

The Lao Soong people are described by many as an unreached people group and have a culture that reflects their strong Buddhist origins. This means that the Christian mission has to be patient, and the outreach has not been as immediately fruitful as the Plang church – where the growth is rapid and continuing.

The Lao Soong Church has set a goal to have at least 20 active members, to meet the congregation’s share of the Pastor’s salary and to implement a project to develop and mature the faith of the congregation.

The goals for the Lao Soong chapel are similar, with growth and living out the Good News a priority. This is

An abundant life in ZimbabweRecently, a team of 12 missionaries from Bendigo Church of Christ spent two weeks visiting Khayelihle Children’s Village (KCV) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. For some of the team it was an opportunity to renew acquaintances from the same trip two years ago.

The trip included maintenance work on the buildings, with repairs to windows, lights, doors and taps, and the installation of a new playground (pictured).

The group also spent time playing soccer and netball, and skipping with the children, and ran a special preschool program for the children, which featured acting out Bible stories.

The children also participated in devotions and games in the evenings in each house, followed by doing their homework with the help of the group.

Missionary, Robert Wad, was charmed by the KCV children and their zest for life.

“I was captivated by the preschool children and savoured walking them home afterwards. I remember a photo session when I bobbed down to their level and they copied me. I collapsed in laughter,” Robert said.

“It was wonderful to be able to sing in church with the talented choir. After the service it was touching to share together as we stood in line to shake the hand of

everyone in the congregation.”

“The KCV children gave us so much. We can learn from the way they live; happy smiling faces with an emphasis on looking after one another.”

“We shared a barbecue lunch with the whole village including cake, ice cream and drinks. It was like Christmas in July. We were privileged to be invited into the children’s lives and would encourage any church interested in mission to visit KCV.”

To support the work of KCV, please go to inpartnership.org.au/khayelihle-childrens-village.

Global Mission Partners

Naresh’s dreams come trueNaresh Satgad can testify to fervent prayers being answered and the gift of miracles from an awesome God fulfilling some of his greatest hopes.

Naresh grew up in the village of Lasina, India. Some of his best friends attended Gnyan Sampada School at Ankoor Home. He accompanied them to several Christmas programs held on campus; it was a time of joy and reprieve from a struggling home life.

After completing high school, Naresh chose to become a teacher. Having achieved his Diploma of Education he discovered that getting a teaching position wasn’t as easy as he had hoped, being unable to secure work for two years. He often walked the street in front of Gnyan Sampada School and wondered about a job there. In July 2012, he was delighted to finally join the teaching staff.

Attending the prayer and worship service became part of his daily life at Gnyan. Naresh started to read a

Saturday 1 November

Magill Church of Christ 61 St Bernards Rd Magill, South Australia

We look forward to sharing with our guests including:

• Richardson Toka, Secretary General for Churches of Christ in Vanuatu

• Mark Yettica-Paulson, strategic facilitator for Indigenous Ministries Australia

• Dr Ash Barker, Director of the Centre for Urban Life and Ministry.

Please note this date on your calendar and consider attending.

For further information contact [email protected] or 08 8352 3466

CELE

BRAT

ION

OF G

LOBA

L M

ISSI

ON

- DIA

RY D

ATE

TO N

OTE

somewhat more difficult due to the small size of the congregation and the lack of a pastor.

Our host, Prasit, showed us incredible generosity and grace and accommodated us in many ways, especially with the language differences, transport and dietary difference (I struggled a little with the spicy food!) It was Prasit’s interactions with us which allowed us to have such a positive experience of what the Thai churches are doing.

Bible for himself. His conviction grew and last year he accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour.

He also discovered the power of Jesus to heal. After attending chapel one day he requested prayer for healing of his thumb. Doctors had advised that he would need surgery to correct the problem which he had lived with since a young child. When he returned for his next appointment, they were amazed to find his thumb completely healed.

“Naresh is a real asset to the ministry here,” says Kiron Gaikwad, Director of Ankoor Home. “He is sincere, hard-working and humble: a great role model for the students as a residential staff member and the boys’ warden. He now leads worship and children’s church. This ordinary village boy from a poor family is a great vessel in God’s hand.”



page 32

page 33

It is also a similar story for Manga Devi. Manga’s husband died three years ago in an accident, leaving the young widow and daughter to fend for themselves. Shi-Loh Church Ministries were able to bless Manga with a sewing machine thanks to a $150 donation from Churches of Christ Care Retirement Living. Manga is now earning enough money to support herself and her daughter.

Thota and Manga have had their lives changed thanks to a small donation that means they can provide for themselves and their daughters now and into the future.

Eswarao has also received the hope of Christ in his life thanks to the donation of a brand new tri-rickshaw.

Eswarao was born with a disability, with both his legs handicapped. He has had no-one to look after him and he has never married. After losing his job as a gatekeeper, he was living in hardship and starvation.

The donation of the rickshaw allows Eswarao to have his own business and earn a living selling snacks.

Living in poverty and with severe illness and disability, the lives of three individuals and families in India have been brightened thanks to the kind donations from Churches of Christ Care Fassifern Retirement Village and Shi-Loh Church Ministries.

Thota Nagalaxmi’s husband died two years ago from HIV Aids, and Thota too suffers from HIV. With no means of income since her husband’s death, Thota has been struggling to pay for her medications and provide food and education for her daughter.

Churches of Christ Care Retirement Living donated $150, which bought Thota a sewing machine. Now she is sewing for a living, Thota is making enough money to pay for her monthly medications and educate her daughter.

Changing livesand givinghope



page 34

page 35

Nubeena Retirement Village received a number of prizes during this year’s Toowoomba Chronicle Carnival of Flowers.

Residents and staff of Churches of Christ Care Nubeena Retirement Village decided that this was the year they would enter the city’s celebrated Carnival of Flowers. Six months of hard work has created a stunning garden at the village, ready for show in the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

There has always been a lovely garden surrounding the village, but with a little extra work thanks to gardeners and residents, it is now a stunning display of beautiful plants and flowers.

Retirement Living Manager, Jan Beutel, said that it was the residents’ decision to enter the carnival.

“There is a lot of love for our garden, so the residents decided that we should take it to the next step and

prepare it for entry into the annual Carnival of Flowers,” she said.

“There are many keen gardeners amongst the residents, and their green thumbs have created something beautiful with lots of hard work over the past few months.”

“Resident Bill Van Mourik is a very keen gardener and proud of his garden, so he entered his own garden and won second place in the Retirement/Lifestyle Unit Dwelling section,” Jan said.

General Manager of Retirement Living, Kim Teudt, said it is a great achievement for the village.

“Congratulations to the Toowoomba team, residents and staff who are winners in this year’s carnival. Much effort has gone into beautify the village and individual residents gardens to achieve this result,” she said.

“The village looks picture perfect.”

“Special congratulations also to Churches of Christ Care’s Workplace Health and Safety Consultant, Annette Armitage, whose home garden received first prize in the small homestead and Australian native integrated garden categories.”

Nubeena’s gardens were open to the public to walk around and enjoy.

“We have had many compliments saying how beautiful the gardens look, this has been the beginning of something great as the residents are now looking forward to planning next year’s carnival entry,” Jan said.

The annual Toowoomba Chronicle Carnival of Flowers was held during September and attracts visitors from far and wide to view immaculate gardens across the city.

Churches of Christ Care Nubeena Retirement Village is one of 18 villages across Queensland and Victoria, and offers a wide range of lifestyle options, with personally tailored care and support packages.

Nubeena’s award winning gardens

Hervey Bay Family Day Care Educator, Tabitha Penman, has been awarded top place in the Wide Bay Burnett 2014 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards by Family Day Care Australia.

Tabitha became a family day care educator when her children were young.

“It started out because I wanted to stay at home and spend time with my own children, and I wanted a job to contribute to the family income,” she said.

Tabitha gained her early childhood qualifications and built up her own business. Over the years she has shown commitment to providing quality early childhood education and care which earned her the award.

“I have had kids that start with me when they are babies and when they go off to school a piece of my heart goes with them. Years later I still receive messages from them every now and then,” Tabitha said.

Churches of Christ Care Family Day Care Regional Manager, Beverly Keleher, said that Tabitha has

been a valued educator since joining the service.

“Tabitha started with us in September 2008 with a passion to operate her own home based childcare business. She has always worked closely with her families and has offered a very flexible service to meet parents’ needs. She has managed to work seven days, often including night-time and weekends, and study for her Diploma in Early Childhood while juggling her own family commitment,” she said.

Tabitha is one of 110 educators working for Churches of Christ Care in the Wide Bay and surrounding areas who welcome children into their own homes to provide quality education and care, helping to give peace of mind to families when they can’t be with their children.

Tabitha’s a top Family Day Care educator

Small homestead gardens – First Prize Annette and Shiloh Armitage

Australian native integrated garden – First Prize Annette and Shiloh Armitage

Retirement/lifestyle unit dwelling – Second Prize Bill Van Mourik

Hospitals, nursing homes and retirement villages – Third Prize Nubeena Retirement Village



page 36

page 37

FROM attending meetings at court or the department of child services to sitting down for a cup of coffee for support, Lynda Roundhill said there was a definite need for help for local mums.

She is a mentor for Hopelink’s Mentoring Mums program, an initiative of Gladstone Church of Christ, something she never expected to do.

In the past six years, Mrs Roundhill has supported 10 mums through a range of issues, including visitation rights, substance addiction and isolation.

“Going into a meeting with child services where some of these mums aren’t mentally stable and are told, ‘I’m sorry, you can’t have your baby back’, is a case of just physically holding on to them and nurturing them, making sure they are okay.

“You know it’s the best thing for the child but it can be really heart wrenching.”

“We help a lot of the mums keep off the drugs; we see a lot of mental health issues too, including bipolar and depression,” she said.

She spoke of one mum she had previously worked with. It was unlikely she could keep her baby when he was born.

“I worked with her for four hours a week and she was able to take him home - it was so lovely to be part of that.

“It’s extremely rewarding just to see the progress these mums make.”

Previous mums mentored by Mrs Roundhill have kept in contact with her - she said this is just one of the rewarding parts of the program.

“It’s a two-way street - the mums have to work hard too.

“We are with them for quite a long time and a lot of mums and I stay friends, they text me and we catch up for coffee,” she said.

What she and the other 12 mum mentors and the dad mentor have in common is a passion for nurturing and helping people in need.

“We all have struggles with children but I never thought I would be helping other mums.

“The group as a whole is very caring. It’s a case of seeing the need (for help) and giving back to the community and wanting to be there for somebody.”

The mentors meet once a month to share stories and ideas.

“We support each other ... it is very rewarding to hear success stories. It’s not often we have mums who can’t be helped.”

Mentoring Mums is a program of Gladstone Church of Christ’s care service, HopeLink. Mentoring Mums addresses the needs of young, pregnant and/or disabled mothers who need another mother to join them as they adjust to this new stage of life. It can be a challenging time for a woman when she has a young child and Mentoring Mums aims to provide support and encouragement by placing an experienced mum from our community with these ladies to walk alongside them.

HopeLink provides the glue between Gladstone’s social services. HopeLink strives to listen to the concerns and needs of the community.

From the Gladstone Observer

State Director of Inside/Out, Jesse Caulfield recently met with the Acting Director General of Queensland Corrective Services to discuss prison chaplaincy and discovered the high regard that is held for the service.

“The meeting was framed around the fact that Borallon Correctional Centre will be reopening in the second half of 2015 whilst Serco-Southern Queensland Correctional Centre (Serco-SQCC) will become a women’s prison at the same time,” Jesse said.

“The Director General was eager to ensure that we could supply chaplains to both of these centres as they open, having seen the benefit of chaplaincy inside our prisons over the past 30 years.”

Jesse shared the story of a young

man with the Director General. The young man first met with the chaplains in the solitary confinement unit of his prison nearly three years ago.

At the time, he was in there for his poor behaviour inside the high-security prison; in his words “he was no angel”. After chaplains took the opportunity to have a chat with him and offer him a Bible, he raised a number of objections, mostly grounded around the perceived conflict between “faith” and “science” as to the Bible’s trustworthiness. The chaplain showed genuine concern for him and was able (with permission from management) to bring back a number of articles which provided the answers to the young man’s objections.

Whilst they were helpful, it was the fact that someone cared enough to do such a simple thing, and the approach in which it was undertaken. This underscored to this young man that he was not

alone, that God cared for him, and there was a supportive community of people who were there for him.

Over the following 18 months he became a believer in the Lord Jesus and was connected to a church near his home. He was able to gain parole due to the support of Inside/Out Chaplaincy, and the fact that he was being mentored through our program, Inside/Out Connection.

For over 30 years, Inside/Out Chaplaincy has been working in partnership with Churches of Christ in Queensland, as well as Baptist and Presbyterian Churches, as the entity through which people become chaplains in prisons and through whom ex-prisoners are connected to churches.

There are currently a number of vacancies for volunteer prison chaplains, particularly in regional areas, as well as those highlighted above.

For more information, go to insideoutchaplaincy.org.au.

Mentoring Mums



page 38

page 39

They came in their plaid shirts, denim jeans, Akubras and boots to enjoy a tasty lunch and buy local produce.

The staff at Churches of Christ in Queensland head office gathered for the first “Farmers Market” to raise money for farming families out west, to be distributed through the Outback Church of Christ.

Teams from various business areas came together to sell their produce, including delightful cakes, decadent slices, fabulous fudges, perfect pumpkins and a splendid selection of hand-made soaps and candles.

Proceeds from the stalls and the burgers sold for lunch were donated to the cause.

Our very own recruitment star, Selim Abed Chafloque, won the prize for being the best dressed farmer on the day.

Kenmore farmers marketMore than one million Australians are affected by poverty and severe hardship.

Churches of Christ Care Housing Services is raising awareness of the plight of the homeless and vulnerable during Anti-Poverty Week 2014 (12-18 October).

Anti-Poverty Week seeks to:

• Strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia

• Encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and government

One of the driving forces behind Anti-Poverty Week activities, Housing Coordinator Floyd Stephens, said that hardship can befall anyone.

“Individuals and families can find themselves experiencing hardship for a multitude of reasons, including mental illness, abuse, a run of bad luck, victim of violence and loss of employment,” he said.

“One of the main things people enduring poverty or hardship need, besides food and shelter, is toiletries: Simple things such as soap, shampoo, razors, shaving cream, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and moisturiser. These are basic items that we take for granted but are items that people with very low incomes will often go without.”

“During Anti-Poverty Week we will collect toiletries to be distributed to the homeless and vulnerable. The ability to be and feel clean can greatly improve a person’s outlook,” Floyd said.

Churches of Christ Care believes appropriate and affordable housing is a basic human right and is fundamental to individual, family and community wellness.

We provide community housing and support to about 1,500 Queenslanders each year.

Churches of Christ Care has over 30 years experience in property and tenancy management, and we are a leading provider of high quality community housing solutions for people who are on low incomes. Many of our clients have been discriminated against in the private housing market or were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

For more information on Anti-Poverty Week 2014, visit antipovertyweek.org.au.

RAISING AWARENESS FOR THE VULNERABLE

Grandparents: they care for us, watch over us, teach us, love us, and support us. Let us say thank you.

Join Churches of Christ in Queensland on Sunday 26 October to celebrate Grandparents Day and recognise the contribution grandparents make not only to the lives of their children and grandchildren, but to the community.

You can help us by organising an event to celebrate grandparents.

Our grandparents are irreplaceable. They are God’s gift to the family and often their love and

support can go unacknowledged. This Grandparents Day, thank your parent or grandparent for the contribution they have made.

Grandparents have a unique role; they connect everyone to the values, stories and histories of people’s families, as well as the values, stories and histories of our churches and communities.

For more information about Grandparents Day, visit the Queensland Government Grandparents Day website.

Richard Pearce from Fresh Horizons and Second Half Ministries can be contacted on 0428 229 823 or [email protected].

Celebrating irreplaceable grandparents

Some ideas for churches include the following:

• organise a group picnic

• arrange a special morning tea

• organise children to make cards and present them to their grandparents



page 40

page 41

This is the story of how a group of people saw the needs of some other people within their housing complex and decided to do something about it.

It all started when one female resident of Churches of Christ Care Pavetta Apartments asked her Community Chaplain, Graham Wheat, if someone could help her to move her bed and some other furniture so that she could clean underneath.

Graham and another resident decided to help and the job was soon done. With a job well done and feeling proud, they jokingly called themselves the A Team. The name caught on and now the team has evolved into a group of men who do jobs around the housing complex, helping out where needed.

The A Team comprises of a builder, carpenter, mechanic, painter and general helpers. So far they have shifted, repaired and painted furniture, dumped rubbish, fixed small faults on cars, transported people to appointments, adjusted fridges, helped other residents with physical challenges, and much more.

One of the residents needed to get rid of a king-sized bed out of his unit. The bed was built out of Canadian mahogany and Graham asked if he would mind if it was cut up and turned into a workbench.

A member of the A Team sprung to action and before Graham could check for any restrictions or concerns, it was transformed and sitting in the underground car park ready for work.

Following collaboration with the Housing Services team, a Risk Management Assessment was completed, safety regulations were posted up and the bench was approved to be utilised by anyone in the complex. As part of this, a protective screen was further required and in no time the boys from the A Team found a large old door and fixed it in place.

Some money was needed to be raised in order to cover expenses outlaid to secure donated tools in a cabinet, and for shelves, signs and fittings. The A Team decided to run a raffle to raise the money. So one of them baked a cake, one donated chocolate while other residents donated fruit, vegetables and a DVD. All the monies needed were raised and a good amount of community-building among residents transpired in the process. A new resident recently moved into the complex. At their first meeting with Graham he said, “….and I want to join the A Team”.

Graham took the A Team to visit local Churches of Christ Care retirement villages where they secured access to the Golden Age Men’s Shed and the use of a ute and trailer from Lady Small Haven for any bigger jobs that might be requested.

It is so good to see a few kind-hearted people doing small things that make a big difference in the community in which they live.

TeamThe STory of The

A The first congregation in Queensland, Zillmere Church of Christ, celebrated its 132nd Anniversary on Sunday 14 September to an overflowing chapel.

Among the congregation for the special anniversary service were people from India, Iran, Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, Myanmar, Vietnam, Italy, Ethiopia, plus a large group of Bhutanese from Nepal.

Due to the size of the Bhutanese people group the church does many things bilingually. This people group migrated decades ago into Bhutan. However, 22 years ago, when Bhutan closed its borders to migration, the group was expelled. Sadly they became a nationless people living in refugee camps in the homeland of their ancestors.

At the anniversary service, the wonderful variety of people groups was exhibited both in dress, special

music and food at the celebration luncheon.

A few weeks prior to the anniversary the worshipping congregation experienced a growing murmur from the back of the chapel. Some Bhutanese from other congregations decided to attend the church at Zillmere where the majority of their friends were already meeting.

John Telfer, through seeking to help people in the community, is the initial contact for many of these people. As well, others come initially through the support and help being provided by brother Telfer and the church with immigration issues, settling into their adopted country, or the occasional barbecues. Once the contacts are made, John, along with Doug and Loma Willis, Martyn and Sue Wolholsten, and Ted Bjorem, help with visitation evangelism, preaching and discipleship as this growing “old” church becomes a “new” community for God’s glory.

Zillmere celebrates its old and new community


page 43


page 42

Each week, Ann Street Church of Christ helps people in Brisbane city discover Jesus and His life changing power. Sometimes those people come from far away.

Claudir was at home in Brazil when he received an urgent phone call that his son Nathan was very sick in hospital in Brisbane, Australia.

Claudir found this very strange because Nathan was supposed to be in Adelaide. He soon learned that his son had fallen seriously ill while on vacation in Bali and he was sent straight to the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

Claudir doesn’t speak any English and he had to quickly find money to fly to a foreign land to help his son. “Don’t worry,” his pastor told him before he left. “God will lead you to a Church of Christ and they will help you.” When he landed in Brisbane Claudir had little money for taxis or a hotel. He was unsure where to stay or how to see Nathan. While walking in the city on Sunday morning he saw the name “Church of Christ” printed on the Ann Street Chapel.

The name perfectly matched his pastor’s words so he went in and sat at the back of the worship service. He didn’t understand what was being said but felt overwhelming peace as he worshipped. At the end of the service he shook hands with Spanish speaking Ann

Street members John and Javier from Colombia. They did their best to understand the story Claudir told them in Portuguese. They knew God wanted them to help Claudir. They bowed their heads and prayed with him in the chapel. Then they left the church and drove Claudir straight to the hospital to see Nathan.

Father and son were so thrilled to be reunited. Their relationship had been estranged but now both sought each other’s forgiveness and resolved to mend the family ties. Claudir was moved to tears when both John and Javier’s families offered to accommodate him and help him visit Nathan throughout the week. They reminded him of the good Samaritan in the Bible who looked after a man with a desperate need.

The following Sunday morning both Claudir and a fully recovered Nathan returned to Ann Street’s worship service to share their testimony with the church before flying back to Brazil together. Claudir gave thanks for the unconditional love that he received from Christians in Australia in his hour of greatest need.

If you would like to learn more about this exciting Church of Christ ministry in the inner city, check out the website 430annstreet.com or request the free “Friends of Ann Street” newsletter on 07 3839 4395.

Brazilian father and son reunite in Brisbane

Churches of Christ Care’s youngest and oldest clients have been enjoying playing and interacting with each other

thanks to the KITE program.

Children from Churches of Christ Care Early Childhood Centre at Southport and residents from Marana Gardens Residential Aged Care are currently involved with the KITE (Kids Interacting with the Elderly) program.

Service Manager, Robyn Pointing, said there has been a fantastic response from families, particularly those whose grandparents are not around.

“Our families have acknowledged the value of children being involved with older people. They have been moved by the program, as extended families are overseas and their children are missing out on that interaction,” she said.

“The visit was wonderful and the children and residents alike delighted in meeting each other and having the opportunity to interact.”

Marana Gardens Lifestyle Therapist, Linda Chapman, said that the unstructured program promotes authentic interaction between the children and residents.

On Thursday 29 August, there was a special KITE session, with participant Stephen Chang-Doo celebrating his 102nd birthday at the child care centre.

Stephen has been a resident at Marana Gardens since earlier this year.

He spent his life as an entertainer, performing regularly until he was 101.

Throughout his career he performed for Queen Elizabeth II, travelled the world entertaining troops during World War II, worked in movies and television, performed across Australia, and in his 80s he specialised in singing at Japanese weddings.

Stephen was joined by children, families and educators who wished him a very happy 102nd birthday.

Playing with KITEsnetworking

Churches of Christ in QueenslandnetworkingChurches of Christ in Queensland

page 44

page 45

10 : OCTOBER1 International Day of Older Persons5-11 Mental Health Week - National6 Labour Day12-18 Carers Week12-18 Anti-Poverty Week 24-26 Women’s Ministry Camp 2014 Run the Race26 Grandparents Day

11 : NOVEMBER7-8 Celebrate 2014 - Centrifuge / AGM and Awards Dinner 11 Remembrance Day 14-16 G2025 White Ribbon Day

12 : DECEMBER25 Christmas Day 26 Boxing Day 31 New Year’s Eve

01 : JANUARY1 New Year’s Day26 Australia Day

02 : FEBRUARY1-28 FebFast4 World Cancer Day13 Apology Anniversary14 Valentines Day28 Summer’s Day

important dates

For the 2014 Calendar of Important Dates visit

www.cofcaustralia.org

The Endorsement Requirement for all Ministering Persons in Queensland was officially launched on 1 September. All nominated local church Pastors and leaders, chaplains, Mission Action Partners, and those working as Ministering Persons in organisations external to Churches of Christ in Queensland, are now required to meet the new Endorsement Policy requirements each year.

Churches of Christ in Queensland provides a diverse range of professional people-helping care and ministry across Queensland communities. Our Ministering Persons are often at the ‘front-line’ of community crises and individual human need. The new endorsement requirements ensures they receive adequate support and ongoing training for their role, together with being held accountable to the highest community expectations and standards today.

The new requirements include attendance at key orientation and professional development workshops, together with accountability to the Code of Conduct and Professional Standards required of all Ministering Persons. However, the centrepiece of this new policy is the Personal and Professional Formation Plan (PPFP).

Following the success of a similar approach in Victoria, the ‘PPFP’ as it is known, requires each Ministering Person to design their own plans for personal and professional development

according to the unique needs and nuances of their role. They nominate a “companion” to whom they will be accountable for regular meetings to review progress on the implementation of their PPFP.

Ross Pelling, Senior Pastor – Leadership Development in Churches of Christ in Queensland, co-ordinates the program on behalf of all Ministering Persons. He said “the vision for this new requirement is to build the professionalism and health of all our Ministering Persons, and in turn strengthen the churches and communities that they serve.”

Over 150 Ministering Persons from local churches and Churches of Christ in Queensland have nominated or are required to participate; and a number of other Churches of Christ Ministering Persons serving in external organisations, such as the Australian Defence Force, Police, and so on are now required to be similarly endorsed under this new policy.

If you have any questions about this new Endorsement Policy and requirements, Ross can be contacted at [email protected]

New Endorsement Requirement launched

a specialist design practice.Over 30 years at the fOrefrOnt Of

seniOrs living design1300 304 290

thomsonadsett.com


page 47


page 46

Celebrate2014

Let’s

Value • Share • Inspire

For registration and to purchase ticket visit cofcqld.com.au/celebrate

Join us for the Celebrate 2014 weekend – a chance to appreciate being part of the Churches of Christ in Queensland community.

Saturday 1 - 4pm

Centrifuge Annual General Meeting

Awards Dinner


This year’s Annual General Meeting will be held in the Brisbane Room of City Hall. The Annual Report will be tabled during the meeting.

The Awards Dinner brings church members, staff and volunteers together to celebrate our amazing achievements and cheer on some inspirational individuals and teams. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a 20 piece Big Band playing the timeless classics from Frank Sinatra and the swinging Rat Pack era. Winners of the Excellence in Service Awards, the Chief Executive Officer’s Special Recognition Awards and the Beryl Wilshire Scholarship will be announced on the night. We will also recognise staff and volunteer’s years of service milestones. All of these remarkable people are honoured for their contributions to the work of Churches of Christ in Queensland and their commitment to bringing the light of Christ to individuals, families, groups and communities.

Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 6:30pm - late

scan here

Celebrate2014

Let’s

Value • Share • Inspire

For registration and to purchase ticket visit cofcqld.com.au/celebrate

Join us for the Celebrate 2014 weekend – a chance to appreciate being part of the Churches of Christ in Queensland community.

Saturday 1 - 4pm

Centrifuge Annual General Meeting

Awards Dinner


This year’s Annual General Meeting will be held in the Brisbane Room of City Hall. The Annual Report will be tabled during the meeting.

The Awards Dinner brings church members, staff and volunteers together to celebrate our amazing achievements and cheer on some inspirational individuals and teams. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a 20 piece Big Band playing the timeless classics from Frank Sinatra and the swinging Rat Pack era. Winners of the Excellence in Service Awards, the Chief Executive Officer’s Special Recognition Awards and the Beryl Wilshire Scholarship will be announced on the night. We will also recognise staff and volunteer’s years of service milestones. All of these remarkable people are honoured for their contributions to the work of Churches of Christ in Queensland and their commitment to bringing the light of Christ to individuals, families, groups and communities.

Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 6:30pm - late

scan here

networking - churches of christ in queensland october networking_web.pdf300 words in ms word format...

Documents