RECORDOctober 22, 2005 In this issue Indigenous leader for ATSIM in WA Theology students find footing Meet William Miller Delegates to the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference session worshipped with the Papatoetoe church before turning to business on September 24. NZPUC puts worship before business AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND he New Zealand Pacific Union ning of this quinquennium that many Conference (NZPUC) session began were focusing on the gifts rather than the with the feel of a Friday-night Giver,” he told delegates. “So our focus T family get-together, with delegates became to connect people with the gathering around the keyboard to sing Giver—the Father. As a church, we are well-loved hymns. It was the beginning of probably better at talking about informa- a weekend session—September 23 to 25— tion than connecting in relationships. So that emphasised worship and relationships we have focused on developing relational Reports as the foundation for the work of the ministry.” church in the region—and saw the election Pastor Walshe challenged delegates as to of a new president. how much they really trust God and how In his opening address, outgoing that impacts on their intimacy with God. from NZPUC NZPUC president Pastor Allan Walshe “Without connectedness with the Father, explained the session and union theme, you will never have abundance of life Jesus “Connecting people with the Father.” came to give,” he said, quoting writer session “It seemed to us as a team at the begin- Dallas Williard. (Continued on page 6) ISSN 0819-5633 editorial Hey kids! Like cubbyhouses? Imagine what kind of cubbies we could have in heaven! My cubbyhouse in heaven UBBYHOUSES ARE FUN. NOT ONLY cubby. Really big swings. Some might go cubby complex to play in. playing in them but building them over water so you can jump off and land Of course when I finish my cubby, I’ll too. Do you have, or have you ever with a splash in a clear, warm lake. Other invite all my family over to visit, not only C had, a cubbyhouse? I’ve always swings will be like a row of Tarzan ropes the family I have now, but my great-great- wanted a treehouse but only ever had one you can swing from one to the next. great-grandparents too. I’ll have lots of on the ground. It was squashy inside but I I think one of the best features of my friends visiting from school and church. still had a lot of fun building and playing in cubby will be a big waterfall system inside And you know what? I will see if Jesus it. My favourite feature was a tin hanging and outside. There will be waterwheels, wants to come over to visit someday. out near the door you hit with a stick to use rotating parts, spinning parts, swivelling So you think this sounds like one of the as a doorbell. But that was about as fancy as parts, fountains and even musical sections. best cubbies ever? It might sound like a it got. There will be channels and pipes going pretty good cubby now, but all this would I think heaven is going to be the best everywhere. There will be levers that can be boring compared to what we could place to build cubbyhouses. be switched to make water flow down all really make in heaven. A lot of what I want My cubby in heaven will have many sorts of different courses. We can have in my cubby, and just talked about, may not different levels. Ladders, stairways, and races along the channels with little boats. actually be in my heavenly, super-duper maybe even elevators to take you up to each Hey, maybe I’ll have some big channels cubbyhouse. But that’s only because God level. There will be a big lookout area too that you can sit in little boats and float has something even better planned for us. right at the top to look over all of heaven. around the cubby, just like log rides at Good things we cannot even imagine. And of course what goes up must come theme parks. That will be the most fun God must really love us to build a place down, so I’ll also have spiral slides, fire- way to go from one room to another. so great for us and invite us to live there, man’s poles and flying foxes to get down. Yahoo! with Him, for free. But even more amazing I’ve always wanted secret passages to Pet animals are something I will have was God sending down His Son, out of hidden rooms in my house, secret trapdoors too, living all around and in the cubby. heaven, to die for us so we could go home and tunnels between rooms. So I must Maybe little bunny rabbits, puppies, a tiger to live with Him. have these in my cubby, for sure. cub and an elephant (well—maybe not an Heaven really is a place you don’t want to There will be many different rooms, elephant, actually), but parrots and eagles, miss out on, even if it were just for the cub- actually. Rooms for just games, playing and baby chickens. bies. But it’s also a place you don’t want running around, rooms for relaxing, a This cubbyhouse could be in a tree, it your friends to miss out on. room filled with rubber balls and another could be on wheels so I can move it from So remember not only to always stay filled with trampolines. Music rooms, one place to another every few days or close to God in your life, but share how rooms filled with mazes, meal rooms—a years. Maybe it could have a motor so I good God is with all your friends too. In room for every occasion. could drive it. heaven, there will be enough cubbies for This cubby will be big enough to play an I’ll have to have special hatches on the everyone! (See John 14:1-3.) awesome game of hide-and-seek, chasey side of the cubby so that I can join up my through the levels and a fantastic place for cubby with my friends’ cubbies, just like the Today is Children’s Day. treasure hunts too. space shuttle joins up with the International There will have to be swings on my Space Station. Then we will have one huge Scott Wegener OFFICIAL PAPER of the South Editor Nathan Brown Mail: Signs Publishing Company Pacific Division Seventh-day Senior assistant editor Lee Dunstan 3485 Warburton Highway Adventist Church Editorial assistant Adele Nash Warburton, Vic 3799, Australia ACN 000 003 930 Editorial assistant Scott Wegener Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 www.adventist.org.au Copyeditor Graeme Brown Email Letters: [email protected] Editorial secretary Meryl McDonald-Gough Email Newsfront: [email protected] Vol 109 No 41 Layout Jason Piez Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Cover: Nathan Brown Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Subscriptions: South Pacific Division mailed within Australia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. Other prices on www.record.net.au application. Printed weekly. 2 October 22, 2005 news Adventist Support contributes to NCCA abuse prevention conference Norman, was also a co-facilitator of two to use psychosexual assessments of their CANBERRA, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL workshops on dealing with historical com- theology students; outlining reasons for TERRITORY plaints of abuse or misconduct. why staff are stood down when allegations dventist Support, the helpline estab- Pastor Robertson was pleased with the of abuse or misconduct are made; avoiding lished in 2000 to deal with inci- conference. “It went very well and was suc- potential or perceived conflicts of interest dents of abuse within the Adventist cessful, and highlighted that we’re all facing for the investigation coordinators; and the AChurch, helped to examine and dis- the same issues, regardless of denomina- issue of the abuse of young people. cuss strategies designed to combat abuse at tion,” he says. “It helped to understand Professor Patrick Parkinson, head of the the recent National Council of Churches in that there are other people out there who University of Sydney’s law school and one Australia (NCCA) conference Safe as are concerned and caring about this. It’s a of the expert presenters at the conference, Churches? II. huge issue that can undermine the fabric of believes youth are at the greatest risk and The conference was held from church life.” are the greatest risk in church in regard to September 8 to 10 in Canberra and brought Denominations working together by abuse and misconduct. together 120 church practitioners, repre- providing each other with such things as Over the past 10 years, Australian senting 12 denominations, to discuss issues abuse-prevention strategies and assistance churches have been adopting professional relating to sexual abuse and misconduct in counselling is very important, Pastor standards for their workers, including vol- within churches. This followed on from a Robertson believes. “There was a good unteers. Now they are being encouraged to previous conference held in 2003. spirit of mutual collaboration and hon- use the framework provided by policies, Although the Adventist Church is not a esty, and we’re trying to be more coordi- protocols and training to build an environ- member of the NCCA, Adventist Support nated so we’re not all constantly reinvent- ment where perpetrators find no opportu- staff were invited by the NCCA to be ing the wheel when dealing with abuse. We nity to offend.