Triumph in partnership IN THIS ISSUE ... few years ago I went on a short-term mission. It was my way of ‘testing A the waters’, seeing whether I was cut out for long-term mission or not, See you at Assembly P. 4 and also trying to help the missionaries and local people. While I found that I could handle being in a third-world country, I wasn’t nearly as useful as I’d Thank you, Guido P. 5 hoped to be. I didn’t have relationships with the people. I didn’t know their language. I quickly realised that I’d need to stay there long-term in order to Jesus, Athens, and Evangelism P. 7 be able to effectively minister to them. But when I heard about Proshikkhon, it made me think again. Read Kirsty’s story on page 2. Mission to Kenya (Part 2) P. 16 (Kirsty is currently in her third year of the Bachelor of Divinity at Moore Theological College in Sydney. This was her second time on Proshikkhon, Transition from St Petersburg to Kandern P. 20 and she is planning to go back again this coming year.) New Directions, June/July 2013 - Page 2 Going with someone and working in partnership YOU MAY have heard it said that One of the other great things about short-term missions are a “waste of partnership is that the work continues money” and have “little impact on the long after we’re gone. The church community”. asked BSFB to help them set up new Perhaps sometimes this is true. But Bible study groups in the area and the Proshikkhon short-term mission to run a follow up Bible storytelling is different. And the key to its success seminar. Staff from the Global is partnership. Recordings Network (GRN) and the I believe that Proshikkhon is one Evangelical Cell Church Trust (ECCT) of the best short-term missions have also partnered with Proshikkhon available, for several reasons: in recent years. Not only that, but #1 Tribal Leaders: Our major in the months afterwards they send project in Bangladesh is facilitating evangelists back to the villages where three seminars for tribal church the gospel was shared during training. leaders. We minister to these leaders Wycliffe Australia has also been by doing the Biblical research to asked to help support getting new enable them to contextualize their Bible translation projects underway faith. The second seminar is to in Bangladesh. That’s the body of teach them how to craft and use Christ working in partnership. Bible storytelling for evangelism and It has been said, “If you want to discipleship. And the third is on go faster, go alone. If you want to go the Biblical basis for Christian unity longer, go with someone.” - inter-denominational rivalry in Proshikkhon has certainly seen the Bangladesh doesn’t do much for the benefits of going with someone and cause of the Gospel. working in partnership. Who can #2 Staff Training: We empower you partner with for the sake of the Bangladeshi pastors and Christian gospel? workers to do all the teaching. By modelling empowerment and the priesthood of all believers to the Proshikkhon participants, we are Andrew Hutchens tells of his hopefully shaping their attitudes to experience on Proshikkhon on ministry for the rest of their lives. page 8, along with information on #3 Unreached People: Bangla- desh is an example of a mostly how to sign up for Proshikkhon unevangelized country with 340 2013/2014. unreached people groups. That makes it one of the neediest countries in the world. Through Proshikkhon Learning to apply God’s Word to culture we help the students understand the needs of the thousands of unreached people groups in the world. These learning, anthropology, orality and He said, “Let’s work together to run the training sessions. Our main could be reached in our generation if Bible storytelling, contextualization run a short-term mission which will hands-on role with the trainees is in we put our minds to it. and syncretism. be beneficial for both Australians small groups working on case studies, #4 Poverty: Most Australians #6 Modelling Cross-cultural and Bangladeshis. It could aided by a translator. They contribute know very little about poverty. Ministry: We expect each include training for pastors and cultural and language knowledge. Bangladesh is a shock experience. Proshikkhon participant to build a evangelists from the ethnic minority We contribute biblical expertise and At the same time we see some of prayer team who will undergird the communities.” resources. They organise the logistics the excellent work of Christian whole ministry trip with prayer. BSFB agreed and said, “Let’s work beforehand and follow up people organisations involved in poverty together. We also have a heart to afterwards. We bring the money to alleviation. Proshikkhon was conceived back in reach out to the rural areas.” “What make it possible. That’s partnership. #5 Cross-cultural Training: 2006 when Keith Benn from Wycliffe shall we call it then? Proshikkhon. It This year we also partnered with a Through Proshikkhon, participants Australia met with the General means ‘training’ in Bangla.” And so local church in the north. The head of receive a variety of training in Secretary of the Bible Students Proshikkhon was born. their denomination wasn’t expecting cross-cultural communication. Fellowship of Bangladesh (BSFB is a What attracted me to Proshikkhon much when we came. They’ve had This includes training in language member of IFES). was that it isn’t about the foreigners many short-term mission teams coming in thinking they know before, and they didn’t do much everything, evangelizing the country long-term good. But at the end of the and then nicking off. Rather, it’s Proshikkhon seminars he said, “What about empowering the locals who are has happened here has been both there long-term. unbelievable and unimaginable.” After I’d signed up though, I found Each day participants went to Muslim out that we (Aussies) weren’t going to and Hindu villages. When they came be running the training. I thought to back they said, “They welcomed us in, myself, “Well, what are we going to be put out seats for us and gave us tea. doing then?” We asked them, ‘Can we tell you a It turns out that our part of the story from the Bible?’ and they said, partnership isn’t doing the upfront ‘Yes’.” Before this, their people had stuff. Right from the very beginning never shared the gospel with Muslims. the BSFB staff were equipped to What a difference partnership makes. Good communication is built on good relationships Quality Bible research is hard work The hospitality of poor village Muslims was overwhelming Everyone loves to hear a Bible story New Directions, June/July 2013 - Page 3 New minister for Cairns Dr Ian Putt, Moderator, Presbytery of North Queensland, and Rev. Andrew Richardson CAIRNS PRESBYTERIAN Church Andrew also expressed his gratitude celebrated the induction of Rev. to the current minister, Rev. Harry Andrew Richardson as their new Lead Oh, and the congregation for their Pastor on Wednesday 6 March 2013. enthusiastic welcome since he arrived In talking about his aims in ministry in mid-January. Andrew said, “God has been generous During the induction service, to Cairns Presbyterian Church with Session Clerk Alex Farquharson View of Geneva from the bell tower of Cathedral St Pierre a history of faithful ministry, state observed that the church in Cairns of the art buildings, and a strategic has always had a growing healthy location in a city of 150,000 people. ministry when there has been two “It’s my prayer that we will be able full-time ministry staff at work and Geneva - Cradle for the Reformation to work together to be a church that so it was exciting to have Andrew hears God’s Word through clear, joining Harry as the second full-time Christ-centred Bible-teaching, lives minister. by Dianne Parker out God’s Word in holiness, trust and Please pray for Cairns Presbyterian loving service, and shares God’s Word Church in this new stage of its SWITZERLAND IS a beautiful place decoration and ornamentation was use of objects, books, manuscripts, with our city and beyond.” ministry. to visit and there is much for the removed and the painted décor was paintings and engravings and in the tourist to enjoy with the combination covered over but the stained glass various rooms different aspects are of beautiful scenery and its ancient windows were spared. emphasised and explained. Individual history with buildings which date Today the cathedral still dominates commentaries are provided so that back to the thirteenth century and the old town and it is possible to see visitors can explore the displays at Queensland Presbyterian Church Buildings beyond . the pulpit from which Calvin preached their own pace. Travelling through the modern Swiss and also a chair which is said to have The significance of the events is also countryside reveals an interesting mix been his. presented using twenty first century of modern manufacturing industries This beautiful building is open to technology. In several rooms, by use and traditional farms with their tiny the public and a climb up the 150 or so of media, characters of the time tell Wynnum chalets and large barns and the many steps into the tower gives a wonderful their story. Theological perspectives cattle grazing in the fields. view of the city of Geneva; but it is are argued as various Reformers are Switzerland is also the country not for the faint-hearted as the stairs allowed to present their points of which was the cradle for the up to the top of the towers go straight view with clever use of sophisticated Reformation.