Missions Feeling the Pinch
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theadvocate.tv MAY 2016 In Conversation Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx “The biggest waste of time is the CEO Nick Marvin shares how he balances work, waste of time in getting started.” faith, family and life. PAGE 12>> DAVE KRAFT PAGE 13>> 4 120 years Katanning Baptist Church is celebrating their 120th anniversary in 2016 >> 7 Evening with Silvie Mount Pleasant Baptist Church will host singer Silvie Paladino in May >> Photo: Tobias Houston After years of work by Global Interaction, the opportunities for the Yawo people could be at risk. 8 An ego dinted Missions feeling the pinch Phillip McCallum learns a lesson on reliance on God in the WA outback >> Joseph was the One who of providing the extra money to protected him too.” cover the gap. Addressing a recent Global Interaction Directors “He sought out his friend In a letter to pastors, Heather Meeting, General Director Heather Coleman observed Ian and told him about his wrote, “our teams around the world “we are entering a time of remarkable opportunity encounters with God. Late last have examined their budgets and year he chose to be baptised and made savings. In Australia, staffing We are and significant challenge.” now is an enthusiastic follower levels have been reduced.” of Jesus, part of a movement of “Our priority is to reduce stronger when Global Interaction, the global “For years Simon shared Yawo people turning to Jesus!” expenditure while maintaining we work mission arm of the Australian a friendship with Global At the same time the General key ministry goals. God has called Baptist Ministries, has teams Interaction team member Ian Director noted the two greatest nine families who are preparing together. working across Africa, Asia, Dicks, sharing life, praying and challenges facing mission: to go and another eight waiting the Middle-East and Outback discussing the scriptures.” the need for more workers in Australia to return to cross- Australia. “When Simon’s relative plotted committed to long-term ministry cultural teams.” “Opportunities abound as to overthrow him and threatened and the financial consequences “There are opportunities for we begin to see the fruit of his life he turned to Ian as he fled of the falling Australian dollar. many more. But a significant years of pioneering work,” the country.” “We are currently in a period budget deficit stands in the way.” BAPTIST CHURCHES Mrs Coleman said. “Later, in South Africa, Simon of our history where those who This May Global Interaction WESTERN AUSTRALIA “People are coming to was caught up in ethnic violence are retiring after long faithful is calling all Western Australian Jesus and faith movements are and again fled. He eventually service outnumber those being Baptists to join in specifically beginning in both Muslim and and miraculously found his way sent out. The harvest is plentiful; praying for more long-term Buddhist settings.” back to Malawi and reclaimed his the workers are few.” workers to join Jesus in the This ministry takes years of position as headman.” The falling dollar means harvest and to give sacrificially patience and dedication, building “As he travelled he doing ministry overseas costs to secure the future of God’s trust, respect and love. remembered the story of Joseph a lot more. $100 becomes mission to the least reached. Mrs Coleman spoke of Simon*, and opened the Bible Ian gave $70 causing workers to be an orphan who became headman him, recognising that the God under supported and Global * Name changed for privacy of a Yawo village in Africa. who protected and delivered Interaction is feeling the impact reasons. 2 my view MAY 2016 So, there has been a change? Adjusting to a new role recently has prompted thoughts about change. I recall expressions of His life being born that while I was a chaplain I heard the word change used often as people and bearing fruit, providing us shared their stories. with reasons for rejoicing and celebration even though the journey may still be painful. In my reflection a memory To varying degrees until then, deeply rooted, others looking as My prayer then as I journey was triggered of a time when I think I had mostly experienced if this may be their last summer, through life, particularly when I found myself struggling to negative feelings with the word it struck me that ‘change’ I am feeling the struggle of adequately describe something ‘change’. Just recently a number even when God inspired is not adjustment and change, is that I I was experiencing. I remember of people voiced to me in unison necessarily comfortable. I was will continue to remember that feeling such relief when the “we don’t like change”. My reminded of a kind friend’s words God who is the author of life nurse simply said “so there has thought and feeling at the time to me some years ago “change, and who designed our world been a change”. Affirmation that was I hear you, I ‘get it’. I have to even good change means to provide a fresh expression Ann Clews ‘change’ was an adequate word acknowledge my own struggles an adjustment”. of His life and love every day, Ann Clews is the Pastoral for effective communication with change, particularly as I In our struggles with change, will sustain and hold us safely Care Pastor at Morley Baptist somehow felt healing and get older. how important is it then to through every season of change. Church. helped me to realise that As I reflected while discern the difference between ‘change’ is a weighty word in contemplating the plants in change that leads to death and our language and culture for all my garden, some of them new change that leads to life. For in sorts of reasons. and young, others mature and God we continue to see new On location … I love where I work. No, not just the work I do, but where I am located. For those I return to the Seminary. Our who don’t know, I serve as principal of Vose Seminary, and we are located in students are also enjoying time Bentley, right across the road from Curtin University, and next door to a low out as they train for ministry. As they prepare, they are security pre-release prison and alongside several retirement villages. It is such surrounded by 46,000 students an interesting area … from around the world, and can cast an eye on prisoners and start Take Curtin. Its students are Then there is the prison. For its hopes have been dashed far more a conversation with their friends amongst the world’s brightest and inmates, it is also a time out zone. often than met. or with the elderly. It is the stuff best – and there are 46,000 of them. It is a pre-release prison, so the Pass the prison, and you are of life. It is our location. We are They come from all over the world. stakes are high. Has anything been in the retirement village. It is called to be the Jesus people in it Walk across the campus and you’ll gained from the enforced time out? its own kind of time out zone. … just as you are, in your location. hear a dozen different dialects. It We can’t tell at the moment, but After a lifetime of hard work, the Dr Brian Harris doesn’t take much imagination the next few months will provide residents now enjoy a gentler Dr Brian Harris is the to sense the thousands of stories the answer. As I walk past the pace of life. Many are outgoing Principal of Vose Seminary waiting to be told. For the moment, prison, I pass some who have been and chatty, but others look at and Pastor at Large for the they are stories that are on hold. visiting inmates. I always wonder me suspiciously. I try to smile Carey Group. This is time out to prepare for a what stories lie behind the usually reassuringly, and imagine the career in the future. expressionless faces. I suspect that stories waiting to be told. Tears of joy It was a tough morning, we had just received information regarding our support how dearly God loves us, because target for the next three years. The figures didn’t inspire much confidence. he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.’ All it took was the first five They were below what I was off, the morning’s events were for us. Because of our faith, verses. The Holy Spirit met me at expecting which in turn meant still replaying over in my mind. Christ has brought us into this my lowest, comforted me, calmed more work on home assignment. I picked up my phone looking place of undeserved privilege me, shook me up, refocused me, That coupled with a less than for something to take my mind where we now stand, and we and gave me the courage and pleasant visit to a government off of the day’s disappointments confidently and joyfully look drive to keep on going. I began office got to me. I was then my eye caught the Bibleview forward to sharing God’s glory. weeping, not tears of sorrow or overwhelmed, sucker-punched. app. Should I look at it? I didn’t We can rejoice, too, when we run sadness but tears of joy. Fortunately Sam (my amazing want to, I didn’t have the energy into problems and trials, for we wife) could sense this, she took for it. Obligated I opened it to the know that they help us develop Ben Good me by the hand, led me into our chapters of the day, Romans 5-6.