Cost: FREE A quarterly electronic Christian magazine. Please purchase gifts or donate online to help support this ministry: www.spagmag.com Siinglle Persoon Approved by God - Creation Ministries: Do you know the laws of the heavens? - Inspirational People: Dr Louis Appia - Five errors of the prosperity gospel - When Jesus was a pop star - Close encounters of the cockroach kind Regullar Segments: ☬ Letters to Lou ☬ Puzzle Page ☬ Open Doors ☬ ☬ Tantalising Trivia ☬ Inspirational People ☬ Creation Ministries ☬ ☬ Kristie’s Kitchen ☬ Words of Wisdom ☬ Rest Ministries ☬ A quarterly, electronic magazine for all Christians, with a focus on singles. Issue No. 14 Sep - Nov 2018 ~ Single Person Approved by God ~ Contents Contents We’ve got to hurry When Jesus was a Don’t get married 2018 September What if it was your popstar Compassion Games church? What if the worst Four things God says to Perspective No good deed goes happens? singles unpunished Tantalising Trivia In 1994 in Spain after a truck collided with a car, the truck then fell down onto a railway track and was crushed by a train. Both the driver and the passenger of the truck escaped unharmed. Think they were fortunate? Just imagine being Aime Grosjean of Switzerland, who at the age of 72, was blown from the balcony on the 17th floor of a building by a huge gust of Short Story: I’ve been to 12 schoolies and Five errors of the wind, but as she was falling, another strong gust picked The Toy Maker it gets better every year prosperity gospel her up, and she landed unharmed on a lower floor! Regular Segments The Bible and the Make Your Shoes Inspirational people: Hydrologic Cycle Last Longer Dr Louis Appia 29, 32, 39, 55 Tantalising Trivia Words of Nutty Names 44 Wisdom Various 34, 64, 70 Five of the most Up Close & Good Grief: The Pressing in powerful images Personal with the Hidden Grief of from 2017 Saltwater Crocodile Singleness Are you pacing A time for ‘Madman’ Jesus Close encounters Spot the difference too much and learning causes havoc in of the cockroach missing God’s temple kind calls? 2 ~ Issue 14 Sep - Nov 2018 ~ 2 ~ Single Person Approved by God ~ Editor’s Letter, SPAG Staff and Contact Details SPAG Magazine Staff and Contact Details Vicki Nunn:: Editor, Journalist, layout planner, graphic artist Joseph Kolapudi:: Journalist Welcome to the fourteenth issue of SPAG! Lori Yanez:: Journalist Our feature article in this issue may be an eye-opener for many Liz Gill: Journalist (Modern Missionaries) church leaders and married people, but for those of us who have experienced it, we know the very real pain and grief that we keep Michael Hannett:: Journalist hidden. It’s not something that’s easy to talk about, but is very real for many Christian women and men. I encourage you to check out Lore Kristie:: Chef Ferguson’s article, “The Hidden Grief of Singleness.” (page 35) Lou: SPAG Counsellor (anonymous) We have several articles in this issue with a focus on singles: on Lou: page 27, Laura Tharion shares her thoughts in the article, “Don’t Get Contact us: Married,” and on page 40, Vaughan Roberts provides insight into the Mail: PO Box 9772, Frenchville, Qld 4701, Australia subject “Four Things God Says to Singles.” Email: [email protected] These singles articles are vitally important for church leaders and Phone: (+61) 042 44 33 772 married couples to read to gain an understanding and empathy for Web SPAG address: (Single www.spagmag.com Person Approved by God) is a free quarterly, their single brothers and sisters in Christ. But as always, we have electronic magazine for adult Christians, with a focus on singles. articles suitable for everyone - check out 2018 September Compassion While it is based in Australia, it is an international, inter- Games on page 30, a sixteen day annual (non-Christian) global event denominational publication aimed at encouraging, challenging and this month to draw communities across the world closer together and inspiring all believers, with articles suitable for all. encourages us to act in intentionally compassionate ways. Another of our aims is to provide Church leaders and married There are great articles by writers from Press Service International couples with some insight into the problems and needs of the (Christian Today Australia and New Zealand) who speak on a variety singles in their congregation who can sometimes feel overlooked or of relevant subjects. even unwanted in their church. Andrew Brandon shares his remarkable story-writing skills in the SUBMISSIONS: tale “The Toy Maker,” on page 47. Inspired by Andrew, we’re Please feel free to write to SPAG via our email: considering adding a regular fiction spot into SPAG Magazine, so if [email protected]. Ensure you title your email with the you’re an aspiring writer or poet and would love to share your relevant section of SPAG or address it to the Editor. You may feel Christian-themed piece, please email it at [email protected]. Or compelled to respond to an article, or you may like to submit an consider contributing an article for our “Creative Urge” segment like article1 or photo1 of your own for consideration. Perhaps you have Aliki Whitfield on page 54 who talks about how she is inspired. a question for Lou, SPAG's Counsellor. Won’t you join me in sending out a warm welcome to Michael Please note that any item or photo for publication must be your Hannett who has joined SPAG Magazine to take on our Prayer Points own original work and not copied from elsewhere.1 segment (page 58) and will also share an occasional article as well. In ADVERTISING: this issue, Michael shares a small spot on the subject “No Good deed If you would like to promote your business or major Christian Goes Unpunished,” on page 46. Welcome Michael! activity in SPAG, please contact the Editor, Vicki Nunn on email: Congratulations to Joseph Kolapudi, one of SPAG’s journalists who [email protected] or phone (+61) 042 44 33 772. You can find was a finalist in the 2018 Young Community Achiever of the Year, for more information about advertising costs on SPAG's website (link his work in India on community development and raising awareness here.). for youth engagement. He spoke in schools in North India about Community or non-profit groups are advertised free, though mental health and fostering healthy relationships, and assisted in we cannot guarantee that there will always be sufficient space. driving positive business and social enterprises. Well done Joseph! ------------------------------------------ I hope you’ve gained some real insight through Ruth Lindsay’s 1. By submitting your letter, item or article for inclusion in SPAG, you personally accept all legal articles on domestic violence and the church in our two previous responsibility for your submission, and acknowledge that you have not extracted nor copied written issues. It’s vital that we as a church, consider how we should tackle or photographic or other material from elsewhere that does not belong to you or whose copyright is owned by another. You hereby accept all legal responsibility and exempt SPAG and anyone this difficult problem within some Christian marriages, rather than associated with this magazine from any and all legal consequences and responsibilities. By pretend it’s not happening. The final article will be in our next issue. submitting your letter, item or article you are giving your complete approval for SPAG Magazine and anyone associated with it, to freely use it in SPAG Magazine or on our website, agreeing that To finish, I want you to know that I’m conscious that not everyone use of said item will be without charge and that you waive all financial compensations for said item. is going to agree with all of the views and topics that we share in SPAG agrees not to share your personal details or your contribution with any other organisation SPAG Magazine, but if we manage to challenge, inspire and/or or person not associated with it. encourage you to prayerfully consider another point of view on Singles: we understand that you may feel invisible, overlooked or important Christian topics, then we’ve achieved half of our aim. At the present time, it is more important than ever that we work to even unwanted in the church. Be assured that your needs, concerns support, challenge and grow each other in our walk, whatever our and problems are real. You are not alone, but are part of a vast denomination or background. family of brothers and sisters. God sees you and your struggles: He knows you and He loves you. The articles here are written to Warm regards encourage, challenge and inspire you, whether single or married. Vicki Nunn, Vicki Nunn, ~Please feel free to share this magazine with other Christians.~ SPAG Editor 3 ~ Issue 14 Sep - Nov 2018 ~ 3 ~ Single Person Approved by God ~ Letters to Lou Letter 1 – How to Find a New Church singles family. If we cared to look around church we Dear Lou would see widows, widowers, divorcees, unmarried I moved to a new town after God encouraged me to go mums and singles who have never married. Often there. While I miss my friends and family, I have a good these people make up a good percentage of the church friend here and some close relatives. But I can't seem to find population. a church to settle in. Contact the pastor and remind him of what he said I'd like to find somewhere that there are single people and listen to his response.