The Real Australian Print Post Approved Pp242296/00141
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SPRING 2009 the real australian print post approved pp242296/00141 THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE BUSH CHURCH AID SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA SHARE OUR 90 YEARS CELEBRATION WITH BCA directory BCA ANNIVERSARY GLASSES The Real Australian is a registered LAST OPPORTUNITY LIMITED STOCKS trademark of the Bush Church Aid Society. First published 1920–Edition No. 345. Circulation 32,000 All enquiries to The Editor, The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia, Level 7, 37 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000. email: [email protected] website: www.bushchurchaid.com.au Patrons The Most Revd Dr Peter Jensen The Most Revd Dr Phillip Aspinall President The Rt Revd Dr Peter Brain Vice President The Revd Canon John Butler ANNIVERSARY GLASSES Vice President Emeritus The Revd Tom Morgan Chairman Mr Fred Chilton BCA 90 YEARS 290ml Galassia Old Fashioned Glasses Hon. Treasurer Mr Richard Host BCA 318 Set of 2 gift boxed $15.00 National Director The Revd Canon Brian Roberts Order Early For Christmas! National Office The Revd Canon Brian Roberts Level 7, 37 York Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: (02) 9262 5017–Fax: (02) 9262 5020 email: [email protected] Administration Manager Mrs Robyn Williams email: [email protected] NSW/ACT Office The Revd Chris Baxter Level 7, 37 York Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: (02) 9262 5017–Fax: (02) 9262 5020 email: [email protected] Victoria BCA Cntre The Revd Greg Jones PO Box 281, Heidelberg, VIC 3084 Phone: (03) 9457 7556–Fax: (03) 9457 7610 CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS email: [email protected] SA/NT BCA Centre Traditional style, handmade and boiled in a cloth and The Revd Peter Linn containing high fruit content 30 Croydon Road Keswick SA 5035 Cover: Flat the and dry... BCA 312 500gm round in cloth $25.00 Phone: (08) 8297 2077 BCA 313 1kg round in cloth $39.00 email: [email protected] GLUTEN FREE and no added sugar or artificial sweetener. QLD/Nthn NSW Office The Revd Ian McGrath Lower in saturated fats and low sat. Suitable for Coeliacs PO Box 6565, Upper Mt Gravatt, QLD 4122 and diabetics in controlled portions Phone: (07) 3349 9081–Fax: (07) 3849 7927 BCA 314 500gm log in cloth $ 27.00 email: [email protected] l Tasmania Office andscape at White Cliffs, NSW Revd Dennis Quinn CHRISTMAS CAKE 63 Belar St Howrah TAS 7018 High fruit content NEW! Phone: (03) 6244 5098 BCA 315 700gm tin $32.00 email: [email protected] WA BCA Centre CORRECTIONS Revd Michael Stuart The Winter 2009 RA on page 9 incorrectly stated Fred Harvey went c/-GPO Box W2067, Perth WA 6846 to Wilcannia in 1921. It should have read 1920. In a similar vein, Phone: 1300 554 025 Neville Haviland went to Ceduna in 1921. email: [email protected] 2 SPRING 2009 Editorial City vs. Country greater importance on urban ministry. Many of our up-and-coming Christian I’ll let the leaders are reading him. Christianity theologians Today Magazine recently ran a huge assess Keller’s feature on him. Tim Keller, the Senior exegesis but I Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church wonder where this leaves rural ministry. in Manhattan is sending ripples through It’s traditionally been hard to get people Christian circles worldwide. to minister in the bush. Most ministry He wrote a chapter in John Piper’s book graduates jump into suburban or urban ‘The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern ministry without giving remote areas a World’. In it he suggests many of our second thought. This may be because most methods for evangelism are obsolete. Where graduates aren’t called to rural Australia. ‘truth’ and ‘guilt’ were once key concepts Another factor may be the scant attention in any gospel explanation, according to given to regional areas in our city-based Keller they don’t feature in the postmodern training colleges. vernacular. Many of his ideas about ministry Strategic city ministry is important. today are useful and easy to grasp. But whether someone lives in a high rise But when it comes to his thoughts on apartment in the city, or a small rural mission in the city I have to restrain my town in a country diocese, they need to ‘Amen’. Drawing on the story of Jonah, hear about Jesus. Keller’s insights into the Keller outlines that God repeatedly calls mindset of postmodern people are worth Nineveh “that great city”. “Cities are hearing. But by saying God has a particular disproportionately important with respect heart for the city, he’s missed the mark. to culture,” says Keller. He quotes a friend: “The cities are places where there are more Brian Roberts people than plants, and the countryside is the place where there are more plants than Never heard of Tim Keller? Reckon ministry people. Since God loves people far more in the city should be a greater priority? than plants, he must love the city more Continue the discussion on Facebook. than the countryside.” Is this influential Christian leader really suggesting God loves big clusters of people more than small gatherings? While he does acknowledge churches are needed wherever there are people, he seems to perpetuate THE REAL AUSTRALIAN 3 Gospel Ministry for 125 years in Riverina When describing his Diocese to someone who’s never been there, Riverina Bishop Doug Stevens uses words like “flat, hot, dry”. He says it is a place with “very few people and lots of kangaroos and emus”. His description may sound like the kind of thing in an outback holiday brochure, but he’s not hamming it up. It’s perfectly true. Covering 37 percent of NSW, the mammoth anniversary. BCA has had ties with the area diocese is the size of Victoria (or Great since 1920 and before that our parent body, Britain). Most of it is situated on the edge the Colonial and Continental Church Society of the Australian outback, most residents and Bp Mesac Thomas served in the area. make their livelihood on the land. “The Today much of our support goes to the central and southern parts of the diocese West Darling parish whose largest towns have less than 1000 residents. The pastors of the parish are Ron and Crystal Spindler who Bishop Doug describes as “creative and collaborative”. Through football coaching, kids clubs, and home groups, the Spindlers have become actively involved in their local community. Bishop Doug says: “Their Ron Spindler leading a teaching spot impact upon the place has been excellent. for kids The collaborative dimension of the ministry are mainly used for irrigation farming,” says is critically important and honours the Bishop Doug. “But the larger area of the New Testament imperative of partnership diocese – perhaps two thirds – is mainly in ministry.” Recently the Spindlers have sheep grazing. And around Griffith and focused on preparing communities to Leeton in the middle it’s a very big vineyard become ‘Ministering Communities’ where area.” local people will take responsibility for the This year the Diocese celebrates its 125th delivery of ministry. 4 SPRING 2009 Working with the Spindlers, Rob and the BCA House at Jenny Stubbs from the Blue Mountains, run Broken Hill and St short mission trips in the school holidays. Mary’s Church at The Dusty Boots Programme sees students White Cliffs have all travel to the “corner country” where they received the TLC of the engage in practical service of the local BCA Nomads. church. Bishop Doug travelled to Tibooburra Other BCA supported ministries in the during the latest trip in July. Beforehand Riverina Diocese include Lindsay and Lyn he told the Real Australian he thinks the Whybrow at Hillston – who oversee the ministry has been “very good, useful, and ministry at Christ the King Anglican Church faithful”. “It’s enabled teams of teens to – and several parishes with scripture grow in confidence and Christ through teachers in local schools. engagement in meaningful ministry,” he The strong history between the Diocese said. of Riverina and BCA is a testament to God’s As well as young dusty-booters, the constant provision. Bishop Doug says: “Our Diocese of the Riverina has benefitted partnership in mission works for Christ’s from the ministry of older Anglicans. These kingdom and we pray that [the relationship grey-nomads have used their gifts – both between] BCA and Riverina shall continue, trade and life skills – as well as their faith in whatever form God chooses into the in Christ and missionary zeal, to provide future.” • building makeovers across the West Darling Story based on an interview with Bishop Doug parish. The clergy residences at Menindee, Getting their boots dusty... the Penrith team in the Corner Country THE REAL AUSTRALIAN 5 All Aboard! Bound for the Corner Country Penrith Anglican College students en route to Tibooburra It was just after 6am on the first day of Conversations the school holidays and most of their produced peers would have been sound asleep, but clouds of a dozen students from Penrith Anglican white fog. Extremities went numb. The College in Sydney’s west huddled together temperature dipped to 1.5 degrees. But it waiting for the Country Link train to was all part of the experience for these Broken Hill. As part of BCA’s ‘Dusty Boots pupils, many of whom had not travelled Programme’, the year 11 students travelled west of the ranges. to Tibooburra – a town of less than 150 “I’ve gone overseas,” said 15-year old people located 350 kilometres north of Vasilios Moisiadis, “but inland I haven’t been Broken Hill. further than the Blue Mountains.” Vasilios The students lent a hand at the Church was on the maintenance team.