In the groundbreaking business leadership book Good to Great (HarerBusiness 2001), Jim Collins identifies Level 5 leaders as the high quality empowering leaders who are absolutely ambitious for the cause of their organisation. Few leaders function at this level. But leaders that do function at Level 5 are key to helping turn good organisations into great organisations.

Thom Rainer has done a widespread research project into churches that turn around from a place of plateau and decline, published as Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap (Zondervan 2005). Rainer adopts Collins’ frameworks and patterns for his research and analysis, and describes Level 5 leaders in a church context as “Acts 6/7 legacy leaders”. Acts 6/7 leaders, he says, are the caliber of leaders who have been able to turn churches around from plateau or decline and difficult times to become growing evangelistic churches.

Rainer’s descriptions of other levels of leadership, drawn from a reflection of Acts 1-7 (pp.27-28, 42-45), led me to reflect on how my leadership stacks up and helps me question how it is developing. Here is Rainer’s description of the different levels, each new level assuming the one before, and the questions his reading of Acts have prompted for me as a pastor. I’m asking where does the story of the early church and its genesis and dynamism invite me to practice courageous leadership?

Acts 1: The called leader

As early church leaders were called by Christ to witness to him and grow the church, it is foundational today to respond to God’s call to discipleship and leadership. Pastoring is not “just a job” and a pastor’s current placement is not another step in a career path. When do I remember my call to ministry in general, and the circumstances of my call to my current church in particular?

Acts 2: The contributing leader

On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached and prayed, he demonstrated how leaders foundationally foster the growth of the church through their prayer and preaching. What significant time and thought do I give to the ministry of the Word and prayer, which is foundational to my call and to fostering a healthy church?

Acts 3: The outwardly-focused leader

Peter and John took the good news out beyond the walls of the church when they healed a lame beggar. In what ways do I model outward-focus and help my church look beyond itself? How am I making evangelism and community service a priority?

Acts 4: The passionate leader

Peter and John, furthermore, were so enthusiastic and sold out, it landed them in gaol, and then empowered them to be set free. Passion is rare. But passion is also contagious and will help people “recognize [us] as having been with Jesus” (4:13). Where does my passion show? Do I look for every opportunity – in preaching, service leading, pastoral conversations, meetings – to communicate what I am deeply passionate about in our church ministry?  

Acts 5: The bold leader

The bold leader takes steps of faith and tough calls that few others may be prepared to take, in order to keep the church on track and focused on its mission. Peter modeled this in confronting Ananias and Saphira. Where is God inviting me to exercise courageous and bold leadership? What is the big audacious steps our church needs?

Acts 6/7: The legacy leader

The legacy leader is like the 12 disciples in Acts 6 who empower others for ministry while deflecting attention from themselves, and like Stephen in Acts 7 their interest is not only with the church in their lifetime but make decisions for the sake of the church in generations to come. Am I quick to praise others, and also quick to accept responsibility myself for what goes wrong? Is my ambition for me, or for the church and community I serve? How can I remind myself to think of generations to come, not just short-term viability or what a new ministry might look like here and now?

The book of Acts and the early disciples it narrates model courageous leadership. It takes courage to hear a call, minister the Word and prayer in a hostile context, be outwardly focused and passionate and encourage others to be the same, and be bold and seek to leave a legacy. Not all pastors move through these different levels of leadership, but when they do they will help their church grow. Am I willing to grow and change, and take the limelight off me, for the sake of cooperating with what God is wanting to do through my church?

 

View National Reconciliation Week Factsheet:  Constitutional Recognition - Part 4 (624.08 kB)

In the lead up to National Reconciliation Week 2013, the Witness will bring focus to the various resources available from Reconciliation Australia, to prompt churches to engage locally in becoming communities of reconciliation. By profiling different Reconciliation Australia Fact Sheets in the Witness for the next 6 weeks, we hope Victorian Baptists will look further into available resources, and find ways local churches can be involved in taking practical steps towards reconciliation with indigenous Australians. The BUV office is currently working on a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), and part of this will be our provision of information and connection with resources to raise awareness amongst Baptists, and to encourage each Baptist Church to undertake its own RAP.

Consider what your church can do, not just during National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), but as an ongoing intention to live in reconciled relationship.

Questions to discuss:

1. Do we know the name of the Aboriginal groups who were the first peoples and custodians of the land on which our church meets?

2. Do we have a plaque of acknowledgment of this group or peoples on or near our church meeting place?

3. Do we acknowledge this group or peoples in special services or public events we run?

4. Should our church develop our own Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)? (see reconciliation.org.au/home/reconciliation-action-plans)

What constitutes communion in the setting of the emerging church?  By this term I mean churches in which a ‘fresh expression’ – new forms of worship and practice – are adopted.  Does the distribution of bread and wine in an ecclesial setting constitute the act of communion, or is it simply the sharing of a meal?  What makes the simple meal of bread and wine ‘communion’?  Is it the inclusion of a liturgical act performed by a recognised priest, or the sharing of food with the recognition of Christ’s death and resurrection?  Two experiences in the same small chapel have helped me to reflect on what constitutes communion.

Argoed Baptist Church has recently celebrated its bicentenary, yet it is an emerging church.  The membership is emerging from years of decline and seeking new easy to engage in mission within a rural village where all amenities have been removed.  In the church’s archives a recipe for an early type of yeasted bara brith dating from 1846 was discovered, originally made for a chapel tea.[1]  This rediscovered bread has been recreated and enthusiastically received by the congregation, amazed that they can lay claim to their own recipe.

On Palm Sunday we engaged in a reflective, all age communion service, recounting the whole crucifixion narrative.  Within this service, held in the hall rather than the sanctuary, the participants were gathered around a central low table on which was placed the bread and wine.  The Argoed Loaf, as this bara brith has come to be known, was used.  The whole loaf was broken and distributed by the children rather than the diaconate (as normal), enabling them to participate fully.  As the bread was shared the congregation was invited to think about the ingredients.

Bread is the ‘stuff of life’, yet the addition of fruit, sugar, spice and fat creates a cake.  Bread is often eaten alone, yet cakes are for sharing, associated with festivals and celebrations.  Bread takes time to make, often three days at a minimum allowing for milling grain, growth of natural yeasts to aid fermentation, and kneading the dough.  We are reminded that the falling grain is a vivid symbol of resurrection (John 12: 23-25).  The grain offering in the Old Testament is without yeast or sweetening agents, so the bread speaks of offering (Leviticus 2:11).  Spices were included in the ancient offerings as incense, formed part of the gifts of the Magi, and the burial spices brought by the women to the tomb, as well as the lavish offering of perfume over Jesus’ feet.

Symbols

The Argoed Loaf contained water, the symbol of life, as well as butter.[2]  The vine fruits brought to mind Jesus as the true vine and also the cup of suffering.  We focussed on how grapes are crushed to make wine, or dried as raisins, both symbols of death, but also of joy.  The action of yeast, unseen, working within the dough and bringing the loaf to life is symbolic of God’s power at work, the miracle of bread making to the extent that in mediaeval society yeast was known as ‘Godisgood’.[3]  Yeast is used both positively and negatively within scripture.  It is used as an analogy of the kingdom of heaven, in that yeast permeates every part of the dough, and therefore every part of society (Matthew 13:33, Galatians 5:9). Yeast is also used negatively, indicating the insidious nature of the Pharisees’ teachings (Matthew 16:6, 11-12). 

Typical of the Lord’s Supper, each participant only took a small morsel of the large loaf during communion, but after the service members gathered around the remaining loaf, eagerly cutting and wrapping the bread in serviettes to share with family members, neighbours and friends.  On reflection, this practice spoke eloquently of the sharing of Christ with the whole community, the hospitality of the Lord’s Supper extending beyond the walls of the church and into the community – a visual demonstration of the action of yeast, the kingdom of heaven infiltrating every part of society.  It also echoes the traditional practices of distributing wedding cake to absent guests as a sign of favour.

The distribution of the Argoed Loaf demonstrates the favour in which the recipient is held in by the givers, and it echoes the hope of Christ’s return and the wedding feast of the Lamb.  It also speaks of covenant: we send cake to witness to the covenant of a marriage, in turn it is a metaphor used by OT prophets for God’s covenanted relationship with the people of Israel.  Accepting the food, partaking of the feast indicates participation.  Carter states that it is:

A gracious gift from God, a symbol of God’s justice and provision of adequate resources for all, of God’s goodness and transforming presence.[4]

The sharing of the bread with the community was a surprise to me, being completely spontaneous.  Some Christian traditions keep the communion bread set aside to be taken into the community, others emphasise that the bread must be completely consumed at the meal.  This distribution fitted neither patter.  The communion loaf, broken, shared and gathered by the participants to share further with friends and family, spoke of a longing for the mission of the church to break the bounds of what was considered ‘normal church’.  There was a sense in which this was the ‘priesthood of all believers’ in action.  One can only guess the conversations that these gifts of bread engendered.

The use of a loaf indigenous to the culture of the believers provided a sense of communal identity.  This community is able to trace its roots through many generations.  The people remember the church in its heyday, a time of demographic growth in the village with the arrival of the coal industry coinciding with a religious fervour.  The recreation of the loaf also looks forward to a new generation, using the past to inform and provide continuity with the future.

While celebrating communion away from the sanctuary and the table raised a few eyebrows, moving the altar to the centre of the church is sometimes seen in modern ecclesiastical architecture, notably the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool.

The central place given to the altar or communion table has strong symbolic significance.  The community is gathered for a meal.  It is an offer of hospitality.  This is in marked contrast to the focus placed on a pulpit located on a stage.  It is a move from the celebrity to the celebrant, from someone speaking who is speaking to you to one who is eating with you and who welcomes you to the feast on behalf of Christ.[5]

Interestingly, those who had excluded themselves from communion felt able to share the loaf after the formalities of the service had ended, which raises questions of hospitality.  The fencing of the table, combined with an emphasis on self-examination before communion, has led many to believe that they are ‘not good enough’ to share the feast.  By contrast, in the gospels Jesus feasts with sinners and outcasts, not asking them to change prior to the meal.  After eating with Christ they often do change.  Paul’s injunction for examination is to ask whether the Corinthian church practices are hospitable to the whole body, rather than a check for unconfessed sins.

A second Eucharistic meal?

A second meal within the same community took place a week later when a small group of members spent the day cleaning, decorating and preparing the chapel for the Easter celebrations, which included a baptism.  Topics of conversation moved around hopes and dreams for the church community, the anticipation of new life evidenced through the baptism and the opportunity to open the doors of the chapel building to the wider community in evangelism and mission.  Finally the little group became hungry and so one member went out for fish and chips.  The members gathered for that meal laughed at the implications of the order: ‘five fish and two chips’.

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand was recounted from memory, without recourse to a Bible and while there was not ‘prayer’ in a liturgical sense, there was still a sense of prayer and praise, acknowledging God’s abundant provision.  Was this meal of fellow believers, remembering Christ’s actions and God’s goodness, any less a real communion than a liturgical celebration of the Lord’s Supper?  This question raises the question of whether it is the bread and wine that make ‘communion’, or the words of institution and liturgical prayers, or is it that Jesus is present when his followers meet and eat, remembering his life and seeking to live his way in the power the Holy Spirit?  I would argue that this meal of fish and chips was indeed a holy communion, Christ present where two or three were gathered.

Throughout the gospels we witness many meals where Jesus is both host and guest.  The fish and chips at Argoed were reminiscent of the post-resurrection breakfast hosted by Jesus of grilled fish (John 21:11-14).  As with the bread, the fish must be broken to be shared and eaten.  The single fish, being part of a shoal, echoes the many pieces from the one loaf.  More importantly, it is Jesus’ presence which elevates this from being a simple barbecue on a beach.  With our fish and chips, it was the presence of Christ, ‘where two or three are gathered in my name’, that made this simple meal into a Eucharistic experience.  In our gathering, our informal prayer, and our laughter, we were remembering the whole of Christ’s ministry encapsulated in the story of the feeding of the five thousand.

In The Prodigal Project,[6] the authors discuss ‘reframing’ as being essential in ‘curating’ worship experiences.  Reframing means placing something into a new context, bread and wine becoming not simply elements of a meal, but endowed with symbolic meaning.  The authors explore other communion meals in which traditional elements were replaced by hamburger buns and coke at a festival, the elements being appropriate to the setting.  Jesus reframed the common elements of a meal within his society.  In the 21^st century the common elements of a meal may well be beer and chips!

Theological symbolism may be lost when bread and wine are replaced by other foods, but how far removed from the symbolism of abundant wholeness are our offerings of cubed, processed bread and de-alcoholised wine or Ribena?  Willimon compares so much of what is offered in communion, to a Weight-Watchers’ meal, rather than the joyous feast of the bridegroom.[7]  While moving the Lord’s Supper our the sanctuary or using alternative elements might be regarded as sacrilegious, the experiences at Argoed have provided opportunity for reflection.  Perhaps we have superimposed so much meaning on communion that we have forgotten that primarily it is the celebration of the community, with each other and with God, with whatever elements we have to hand, and in whatever context we find ourselves in. Nigel Wright says:

...the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is not to be located in the bread and wine as such but in the way in which the Holy Spirit is present among the people of God in the act of sharing bread and wine together as themselves the body of Christ.[8]

While Clark argues that:

Eternal life is the fruit of communion (John 6:58) with Christ; the Eucharist is the means of that communion.[9]

However, if we are partakers of the body of Christ, sharing in his life and death, this is so much more than simply eating bread and drinking wine.  John perhaps speaks more of our sharing in the actions of Jesus, in community, symbolised by the bread and wine, the body and blood.  Ultimately we are called to take the new life, borne out of communion with Christ into our wider communities, be that through an indigenous bara brith or from the deepening participation in communion over a meal of fish and chips.

 

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This article originally published in the UK Baptist Ministers Journal January 2012.

Fran Bellingham has recently gained her MTh from South Wales Baptist College where she studied while her husband, Richard, was training for Baptist ministry.  They are now in the settlement process searching for their first pastorate.  Richard and Fran have two adult children.

After 27 years in counselling ministry, Dave Carder was not prepared for a sharp rise in his caseload of women addicted to pornography. "If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would be seeing rapidly escalating numbers of young women involved in pornography, I would not have believed them," says Carder, a Pastor at First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California. "There is a growing body of observation and research that suggests that women's sexual appetites and level of desires are changing," he notes. While men are considered more visual than females, there seems to be a transformation underway.

"Desire for women used to be for closeness and affection; it was more the desire for intimacy," Carder says. "Women are much more sexually aggressive than they used to be," Carder notes. "The whole sexualisation of the culture is bringing about these changes." Radio commentator Dennis Prager observed that at the last Academy Awards ceremony, many of the jokes and songs featured strong sexual innuendo. Even sporting events, which used to be a family-friendly viewing zone, are dripping with sexuality. Pastor Carder finds common backgrounds in the women he counsels about pornography addiction.

"There is a lot of molestation history in the women's lives as children or teens." Some come from broken families, with mums who had several boyfriends. "Many of the women who struggle with pornography also struggle with alcohol and obesity," he notes. Two recent books suggest the neurological wiring for pornography addiction may be changing in women. "These books suggest women have the potential to develop the same arousal response to visual stimulation as men," Carder notes. Another disturbing trend is that more and more Christian couples are watching pornography together.

"Christian couples set up boundaries and say they will watch this, but not that. But over time, they begin to expand their viewing habits and they are headed for trouble. Addiction erodes all boundaries." Pastor Carder has the same approach to treating men and women addicted to pornography. He notes "They need the same kind of support as someone recovering from alcohol. They need a group, a sponsor, and at least three months for recovery," Carder says. The number of Christians battling these issues is astonishing. "Too many women have struggled in silence," he maintains.  With Christ, freedom and victory can be won."

 

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This news article appeared in the Australian Prayer network international news, 15th April,  2013
Source: God Reports www.godreports.com

How is pornography impacting lives in your church?
How can the church help people struggling with addition to pornography?
How can we support and resource churches to talk about issues like this?

November 2004 I finished theological training. December 31^st I turned 29. February 7^th 2005 I was inducted Pastor of Mentone Baptist Church. I’m now 37 and have been serving as Pastor at Mentone Baps for 8 years. I want to share 8 observations and lessons that I’ve learnt from my first 8 years as Lead Pastor here at Mentone. There are hundreds of things that I could comment on, but I’ve limited the list to 8 of the most important observations and lessons.

1. God’s Faithfulness. Not only do I believe that God is completely faithful to his people and to his promises, I can testify to it. God’s promises to us in Christ that are spoken in Scripture are real. Time and time again I have seen God follow through with what he has promised. Friends, our God is real and powerful and active.

2. Patience. Things rarely happen as quickly as you’d like.  In its 60 year history Mentone has had many rich years of ministry, but when I arrived in February 2005, the Church had gone through a period of sharp decline and much pain.  In a few short years 75% of the Church had left (for many different reasons), the interim minister prior to my coming was liberal, there was only enough money in the bank to keep doors open for another 6 weeks, and I discovered that I was the second youngest person in the Church (apart from a few children). Those who remained were incredibly encouraging and supportive of me and Susan, but it was clear that things were not in a healthy state.

It was God who turned things around. I preached and prayed but God did all the work. After 8 years we have come a long way. The boat is no longer sinking and people have stopped crying out, ‘abandon ship’, but we have a long way still to journey. In this I have learned that I can’t rush God. God’s timing is perfect, mine isn’t. The direction that I wanted to see the Church going had expository preaching and prayer as the rudder, the Church directed toward mission, and the Church itself becoming a safe and encouraging place for unbelievers and Christians alike. It’s one thing to draw a picture of a boat, and quite another to build one that floats and moves! I have needed to learn that when growth is slow God knows what he is doing; Christian growth is about daily repentance, and therefore by nature slow. Patience isn’t learned from reading a book, but by living life in the power of the Spirit and trusting God each step.

3. Belief in and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Not that there was a time when I didn’t believe in the Holy Spirit or not understand how vital he is for Christian living, but the longer I am in pastoral ministry the more conscious I have become of the spiritual dimensions to life and ministry. This is war, but not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. There are three areas of spiritual warfare in pastoral ministry: The pastor’s own life as he/she fights sin and depends on God; the real blindness of unbelievers ("the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"); and the spiritual apathy that is prevalent among many believers. 

I am more and more convinced by what I already believed to be true, that without God’s Spirit working in a person’s life and rousing them, they will not receive Jesus as Lord. Even more perplexing is the lack of love and commitment many Christians have to Jesus and to his mission. Christ ought to be everything to us, and yet for many he is only one part of a multifaceted life. The busier people are and the more content people are to have Jesus at number 3 or 4 in life, the more I am persuaded that we desperately need the Spirit of God to work among us. The best thing I can do for my people is to use the sword of the Spirit and to pray in the Spirit, for their sake.

When Paul talks about spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 he doesn’t use the singular you, but the plural. In other words the Church needs to fight the good fight together. We will be more effective in personal godliness and in evangelism when we partner together as a single fighting unit.

4. Trust in the word of God has not waned. At theological college (and since) I would hear countless stories of ministers who have given up the Bible, perhaps because it wasn’t producing the volume of fruit that they expected, and so they dumped Bible study, preaching and teaching for an “easier” route to growth, or because they had grown “wise” and discovered that the Bible wasn’t quite as true and reliable as we were naively led to believe.

After 8 years at Mentone I remain fully convinced that the Bible is God’s true, trustworthy, sufficient and powerful word. We can attract people without the preaching of the word but we can’t make disciples of Jesus Christ and we won’t see His church grow without it.

Juxtaposed to this, I would also add that I have grown in my appreciation for the role of general revelation and valuing pragmatics. It’s not the case of choosing Bible fidelity or pragmatism, but allowing Biblical revelation to drive ones pragmatism.

5. People need practical help for building community and for integrating the Gospel into everyday living.

Everyone knows that I’m not a programs guy. I’m a ground-up guy; I like relationships and ministry to grow organically, with people catching a vision and running with it by organisation themselves and connecting with other people and working out how they can live on mission in their particular context. While some people are great at doing this, others are not (this isn’t a weakness, but an observation about how God has made us differently with different personalities and strengths).

Pastors are in the unique position of having the time and training (one reason why the Bible teaches that the Church needs pastors and elders) to grasp how the Church is going, where it’s headed, and what are its current needs. I don’t see or understand everything, but my role comes with glasses that help me see the broader picture.

People are genuinely busy, and normal life is now so complex and fast paced that it’s difficult for us to think deep and reorient life where we need too. It’s like trying to turn a sharp corner while driving the car at 180km/hr.

6. This one will surprise some people - Not being rigid enough when it comes to appointing leaders.  There have also been times when I haven’t encouraged and released people to serve quickly enough. I can think of 2 or 3 occasions when we have been too slack and have given permission for people to take up positions when they were never suited in the first place. It’s hard to say no. But the mess that you have to clean up later on is more stressful than saying no in the first place. Especially when the church was very small and we had very few people doing ministry, you didn’t want to discourage people or have them leave because you said no. But they end up leaving anyway, and after they’ve left, a stinking pile remains behind.

Paul told Timothy to test people. Great idea. Paul told Timothy to train reliable and qualified people. Another great idea.

7. Training leaders and potential leaders is the best way to look after the whole church. Doing everything might work when there are only 40 people in the Church, but it won’t work if you want the church to grow.

I am increasingly convinced that one of the best ways I can love the Church is for me to not meet and drink coffee with every member, but to train leaders who in turn will look after small groups of people in the Church (whether it be a Growth Group or ministry group).

I always want to be available for those in need, and there are pastoral situations where I need to get involved, but Jethro’s advice to Moses was spot on. I thank God that we have a great Diaconate, a growing Eldership, and more people actively serving in the Church than ever before.

By training leaders (our Multiply program is key to this – equipping, encouraging & energising word ministers) we will multiply ministry, better love people, and reach more people.

8. All the stories about pastoral ministry being costly are true.

Susan and I are incredibly thankful to God for Mentone Baptist. I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to serve him as Pastor of this amazing Church, and I’m looking forward to what God has in mind for the next 8 years.

 

New research suggests that running more programs is not the answer to growing congregations and forming disciples, writes Ken Morgan, who is responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of Archbishop Freier’s vision for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.

 “Say ‘no’ to almost everything,” is curious advice to offer church leaders. Yet that’s exactly what researchers Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger recommend. Surveying over 400 churches, they found that churches experiencing significant and sustained growth tended to have fewer activities, and those activities were organised into a simple process that helped people become mature disciples.

By contrast, plateaued and declining churches were more likely to run lots and lots of isolated activities that function like spiritual ‘blind alleys’ – they corral people and don’t help them to grow in maturity.

Rainer and Geiger’s research goes counter to the advice church growth writers were offering back in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Church Leaders of that era often encouraged churches to have as many points of entry as possible. Growing churches, they observed, ran programs to serve as many kinds of people as possible. “The more ‘doors’ you have, the more people come in!” ran the mantra.

A decade or two later we have a lot of people who became very tired maintaining all those ‘doors’. We’re realising that the ‘more is better’ doctrine is unsustainable. We can run lots of activities for lots of different people for a while, but we risk running activities while failing to form meaningful relationships. Without relationships, people drift away as quickly as they came. People seem to be looking for a place to belong.

It takes more people to form community around an activity than it does to merely run the activity – often twice as many. The implication may be that the way forward for plateaued or declining churches is to re-think some of the current activities that don’t produce fruit.

Reflecting on the remarkable growth of North Point Community Church, in Georgia, USA, Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner and Lane Jones describe their relentless commitment to simplicity and focus. That means every activity has a specific group it’s designed to serve, and a specific outcome it’s designed to achieve. No two activities serve the same function for the same group. For example, the North Point team made a conscious choice not to run an adult Sunday school, because it served the same purpose as cell groups.

While relationships are vital, activities that are solely focused on ‘fellowship’ generally don’t contribute to growing disciples or growing congregations either – mainly because they simply reinforce long-standing relationships at their long-standing level. New people find it hard to break into entrenched social patterns. And those on the inside are less likely to grow because they remain comfortable and unchallenged.

Conversely, new people often find a place to belong when they find a role that makes a meaningful contribution. Genuine, life-transforming fellowship usually occurs as a by-product while we’re trying to accomplish something that goes beyond our own needs and preferences. Activities should serve a purpose beyond ourselves.

So where does that leave us? Instead of creating havoc by summarily closing half our ministries, I encourage you to read Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger’s Simple Church, and Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Stanley, Joiner and Jones. For information on workshops see www.bishopperryinstitute.org.au/training

 

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This article originally appeared in The Melbourne Anglican, March 2013. Re-posted with permission.

http://www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/NewsAndViews/TMA/Pages/TMA-archives-2013.aspx

 

 

Young Australians have much to gain from social networks, according to a report by the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre.

The report, “The Benefits of Social Networking Services”, shows that some of the benefits include delivering educational outcomes, facilitating supportive relationships, fostering creativity, assisting with positive identity formation, boosting self-esteem and promoting a strong sense of belonging.

Research has found that social networking can help create an online community where young people can connect in meaningful ways. It found that social networks are particularly effective in removing the social isolation that often surrounds young people who may have physical disabilities, live in remote locations or suffer from a chronic illness.

“This is particularly the case for debilitating mental illness like anxiety or depression that can keep a person a prisoner in their own home,” said Associate Professor Burns, CEO of the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre.

The  Young and Well Cooperative RC, in collaboration with young people and over 70 partners from the government, non-profit, academic and corporate sectors, is exploring the role of technology in young people’s lives, and how it can be used to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Another report, “Intergenerational Attitudes Towards Social Networking and Cybersafety”, looks at how young people use social media and stay safe online, and reveals that young people themselves are best equipped to educate their parents and the community about social media and online safety.

“Many adults are behind when it comes to their knowledge of how to assess online risks and guide young people effectively. Adults need to actively work with young people and personally engage with the tools available,” said Professor Burns. Adults should ask a young person to give them a lesson on how to set u a Facebook page, how to keep their information safe and how to set their privacy settings, suggested Professor Burns.  

Young people are experts in this digital space and often learning together is a great way of changing behaviours. Parents and young people should set the boundaries of online activities together and have a shared understanding about what controls are in place.

While parents, teachers and professionals can sometimes feel uncomfortable having a conversation with young people about being safe online, this report shows it’s very important to take the time to sit down together to share and learn by discovery.

If the conversation about smart, safe and responsible use of technology starts early, the transition from child to teenager will be far less stressful for both the young person and their parents, according to Professor Burns. Young people want to be autonomous, create their own identity and have their own space online particularly when it comes to social networks.

“Educated parents are empowered parents. As children reach their teenage years, if you have developed trust and can communicate with them in an open and frank way, it is far more likely that the conversations will continue,” said Professor Burns.

Honest conversations with your child about bullying, both online and offline, are very important to make sure your child is building positive relationships with their friends and being smart to protect themselves from bullies.

The issue of cyber-bullying is an important issue worthy of discussion. However, Professor Burns worries about media coverage that only reports the risks of social networking without providing adults with a solution, asking: “How can parents support their kids to get the most out of the online environment?”

Maximising the benefits of social networks and promoting internet and media literacy are likely to help protect young people from the risks of cyberbullying.

“Technology is here to stay, it is part of life. With high speed internet and smart phones, our challenge is keeping pace to ensure we empower people to manage risk, but also to ensure we embrace its amazing potential,” said Professor Burns.

“The leaders of tomorrow will be expecting to be digitally literate in both their interactions in the wider world. The best thing parents can do is start conversations with their children early and set up an agreed framework about how to use social networks in a smart, safe and responsible way,” he added.

 

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Reposted on Witness from an article in Kilvington Grammar School October Newsletter by Teresa Deshon, Deputy Principal of Kilvington Grammar School. You can learn more about Kilvington at:  http://www.kilvington.vic.edu.au

Sunday Herald Sun, 2 September 2012

 

 

There are a number of practical attitudes and behaviours that significantly contribute to pastoral health. They include the following.

Self-differentiate

For the Kingdom’s sake, have a clear picture of who you are in Christ. Two major assignments are given to us as Christians:

1. To know God as revealed in Christ. You do this by knowing the bible and interacting with the Spirit of God as a teacher, interpreter of truth and empowering companion. Keep working on that relationship for the whole journey. Interacting as a learner of Christ (Matthew 11: 28-29), being Scripture soaked and prayer bathed is all part of this.

2. Couple this with a desire to understand who you are. This comes as you understand your personal story, giftedness, loves, dreams and strengths; along with your fears, hates, obsessions and angers, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. To foreknow is to be forewarned. It is wise to pray and walk away from that which is unhealthy, ungodly and distracting. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3).

Boundaries around marriage and family

Establishing boundaries about one’s marriage and family does not mean that you become obsessive, rather you communicate with your spouse vigorously and constantly about everything. You listen to them carefully, thoughtfully, and with love. Together you learn the way to do conflict and you stick to the rules, respectfully working through differences.

As we do this within marriage, so we are to do it within family. Preciousness about children can verge on idolatry and ought to be watched. However, our children need our priority, love, patience, modelling of life with Christ and our time. Affirmation of their value through verbal expressions of love and physical demonstrations of affection that are respectful, generous and frequent are important. Discipline that is consistent, firm and always directed toward enabling children to come back on track with family rules and thus learn how to live with each other, parents and within a large community. Talk during television shows, during drives, whenever and wherever your children open up, maximize the possibility of their doing so.

Boundaries are to be like pores in ones skin, they are to have holes so the skin can breathe. Spouses each need friends and companions of the same gender. Children need friends that are welcome in our homes. Practice person to person hospitality and hospitality in the home within the family’s financial limitations. Preserve family private times and spaces but include others in that often.

Exercise, play sport and have fun

A comparative sedentary lifestyle is to be balanced by regular exercise, regular participation in sports, so some of this needs to be team sports. Encourage your family to do the same and be with them in the midst of that. Make the most of connecting with people in community at your kids games. Date nights and dates with one’s children on a one-to-one basis are something I did not necessarily do, but I watch my children do this with great wisdom as they relate to their children.

Work practices

Be proactive about good work practices. Spend mornings in the study, with the possible exception of staff meetings and scripture classes, and afternoons for meeting with people and visitation are good practices. Work at least eight hours a day. Take Sabbaths or days off for recreation and days of in lieu when required i.e. after family camps or particularly stressful periods. One day in seven or an equivalency is good practice. Do not expect volunteers to do more than time allows for them. Do not deliberately or unwittingly suggest that your role is more significant in God’s design that that of others in the congregation. Remember you are not necessarily the hardest working person in your congregation and do not go into victim mode about that.

Take holidays

What do you do for fun as a family and as an individual? Having worked out what it is, get into it or find a cheaper alternative if you must. For example, you can walk, jog, or ride a bike instead of joining a gym. Holiday regularly with your own family and include others on occasion. There is nothing like a campfire for relaxed story telling or gathering around a gas lamp and reading together as a family.

Read and listen to music

Keep up your reading of journals like ‘The Week’ or ‘Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care’. Read about preaching, theology, church history, cultural and societal trends, as well as leadership practicability. Do so using electronic material or paper books. Have mercy on your people, read and keep writing sermons out in full, using gender inclusive illustrations and language. Read good novels rather than watch TV if your time is short. Historical, well researched novels may enrich you. Travel if it is possible for you and broaden your worldview and your understanding of other cultures. Tackle language study if you have an opportunity or the slightest reason for doing so.

Watch out for ‘withdrawal symptoms’

Many Australian pastors, as opposed to US pastors, are introverts. If you are an introvert then make sure that that you get time on your own to renew your soul and energy to speak with people. Plan your use of time accordingly, but whatever you do, engage with people at depth and learn their stories, sins and see God working in them.

Be careful of high maintenance people

Know who pushes your buttons, and what about them causes this to be the case. Part of healthy self-awareness knows those people who frustrate you and what it is about them that does so.

Set up healthy patterns in life

Set these patterns while you and your family are relatively young and it will stand you in good stead. Yes, you will as a result, still be interacting with your children when they are adults, and with their children and you will realise that you can do it all over again. The second time around, with grandchildren, there is a relationship distance that makes it more relaxed and enjoyable but it will still cost.

Know your doctor

Keep in touch with your medical practitioner, for other members of your family, for yourself. Regular medical check and paying attention to healthy tendencies you have in your family or origin and within your nuclear family. Eat healthily at all times.

As a final Charge, believe Paul’s directive - Keep watch over your own yourselves and over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own son. Your own souls, and those of the people you serve. (Acts 20: 28)

 

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By John Reid. This article re-posted with permission from NSW & ACT Baptist Churches, Together Magazine: www.togethermagazine.com.au

Realising people are bought and sold in our own country, in the same day that we wake and sleep and eat and work, should move us. It should change us. In 2010 Jess Sanders, now Unshackled coordinator, was changed. Sanders and six other young adults gathered to discuss the reality of human trafficking after learning that Thai women are bought and sold in Melbourne. The group was part of NewHope Baptist Church, a community already focused on Thailand. Later, Sanders and a few others from the group travelled to Thailand on a mission trip. After facing the raw vulnerability of many Thai people, Unshackled was born.

Unshackled exists to bring an end to human trafficking and slavery, encouraging personal commitments to justice. This year for the second time, Unshackled is holding a week long music festival designed to instigate change. The May 13-17 event is held at NewHope Baptist Church in Blackburn North.

'Change Your Shelf' on Monday, 13 May, addresses the need to curb exploited labour. This event will equip attendees with the ability to make a difference. Musical artist Levi McGrath will play this evening. Ruth Dearnley of World Vision Australia, Scott Higgins of Baptist World Aid, and a Jasper Coffee representative will explain the small but effective changes an ethical consumer can make.

On Tuesday, 14 May, 'Change Our Culture' welcomes Melinda Tankard Reist of Collective Shout and a representative from Project Respect. Both speakers hope to create agents of change willing to walk against the growing tide of cultural sexualisation. Attendees will realise the connection between this issue and the increase of human trafficking. Melbourne singer-songwriter Vita Adam will take the stage as featured musician.

Wednesday, 15 May, Unshackled presents 'Change Your Holiday'. A challenge to look at our holidays in a different light, this event will reveal the exploitative nature of sex shows and services. Alezandra Russell of Urban Light and Amber Hawkes of International Justice Mission will share about the prevalence of trafficking victims in these areas and the rescue work happening. Musical guest for the night will be Amy K, co-founder of the Ruby Road Project.

Tuesday and Wednesday evening will be limited to those ages 18 and older.

'Change Your Heart', on 16 May, includes a showing of the documentary “Not My Life” – a film about human trafficking and modern day slavery. Noddy Sharma of Operation Mobilisation Australia will share at this event. The evening’s featured artist is singer-songwriter Tom Tuena.

The film will be limited to those aged 15 and older.

Friday evening’s concert 'Change Your Tune' is the only ticketed event, starring Sydney-based band New Empire and poet Cam Semmens. Levi McGrath, Vita Adam, and pop-rock band Compliments of Gus also join the stage. Tickets for this event are $30 adult, $25 concession. Tickets are available at www.halomusic.com.au or by calling NewHope Baptist Church at (03) 9890 7999.  

But ticket sales are not Unshackled’s goal.

“I long to see people asking the question, ‘What is my part in this? What habits do I need to change? How do I need to stick my neck out and have courage when it comes to this?’ " said Sanders. “ ‘Yes, we actually can impact people's lives. We can actually see release and freedom for these people in our city in our world!’ I want to see people who are willing to bend so others don't break."

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Written by Emily Rinehart, HOPE61, One Mission Society. www.catchcolorjustice.com

Thirteen years ago two Karen families and a young pastor met in a house in a Yarraville and agreed to meet weekly for fellowship.  At the time the two families and the pastor represented about half the Karen community in Victoria. Thirteen years later the community has grown to become the Westgate Karen Baptist Church, and most weeks it barely fits into the church in Yarraville.

In April, Westgate Karen Baptist Church celebrated its thirteenth anniversary. The church is now one of ten Karen churches in Victoria and there are more ethnic Chin and Karenni churches too. The growth of these churches has been driven by Australia’s refugee program. Every year the Australian government gives humanitarian visas to one thousand refugees in Thailand. Most of those granted visas are ethnic Karen Christians.

These churches come from a different place in more ways than one. The average Karen or Karenni family has survived the destruction of a village, the conscription for forced labour by the Burmese Army or a stint of combat as a guerrilla, fleeing across a border, the death of a family member from malaria, and years in a refugee camp. It is a different kind of faith – welcome to a community that knows about prayer!

Welcome to a community that sings. Some Karen villages boast a TV, a video player and a diesel generator. But for most Karen Christian villagers, entertainment on a Saturday night is singing practise. In the villages of Burma, in refugee camps, in Thailand, in Laverton, in Werribee, in Kangaroo Flat, and in Nhill.

The future will hold many challenges for this Karen church. Most Sundays Westgate has an English-language service in the morning and a Karen-language service in the afternoon, but one Sunday each month there is a combined, bilingual multicultural service. But this is just one step in walking the path between preserving Karen culture and integrating into a new culture, finding new ways to do mission, and making faith relevant for a younger generation growing up in Australia.

 

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Martin West is ………………….