November 29, 2008 In this issue ACFI in voluntary administration Fire destroys Echuca church hall Wonder Avondale Primary School students in their performance of “Terror to triumph,” a musical written by a teacher at the school. “Triumph” for school students COORANBONG, NEW SOUTH WALES n term 3, 215 students from Avondale ing the audience that God has the power to Primary School performed “Terror to bring people through situations that seem triumph.” Written by Kindergarten impossible. Iteacher Coralie Fraser, the musical fol- The lead character, Joseph, was played by lows the storyline of the biblical character Year 5 student Zelman Wilkinson. Other of Joseph. signifi cant roles were taken by Peter Gould Nine classes were involved, covering (Pharaoh), Emily Chermside (Potiphar’s ABCs fi nd Years 4 to 6, with every student taking an wife) and Nicholas Borrot (Potiphar). active role. The musical was held at Avon- While music teacher Dianne Grieve di- dale College church and attendance was rected the music, John Venegas was stage “encouragingly high.” director for the musical, with Sam Livinston open day “Terror to triumph” refl ected on themes managing the stage and props. Cami Ward concerning God’s ability to turn bad cir- coordinated the event. cumstances into stories of success. Its mes- DVDs of the production are available success sage was one of hope and power, remind- from the school.—Susan Rogers ISSN 0819-5633 editorial The stronger, deeper and more profound the hope, the greater the audacity. “The audacity of hope” have no qualms about borrowing works well as a kind of shorthand way of His action. But somehow, we are invited to this title from United States president- describing our expectations of God’s plans become part of enacting, incarnating and elect Barack Obama, given that he also for our world, we need to be careful not inaugurating God’s kingdom in our lives, I borrowed it from a sermon he heard to cheapen hope to just a slogan, label or through our church community and by our a number of years ago. But the phrase— TV channel. infl uence, as a way of making this kingdom “the audacity of hope”— has echoed in my We also need to guard against thinking a present reality and a future certainty: thoughts since reading Obama’s book of we are offering hope when we are really “Our great desire is that you will keep right that title earlier this year. practising despair. Too often, our view of on loving others as long as life lasts, in order By its nature, hope is audacious. It takes the future might be perceived by those to make certain that what you hope for will some measure of boldness to look at what with whom we might be trying to share come true” (Hebrews 6:11). is and see what could be. And it requires it as almost overwhelmingly bleak with a More than a profound book title, the audacity to begin to act as if the “could be” “happily ever after” tacked—sometimes importance of hope has been a recurring is a kind of reality. Without such audacity, awkwardly—on the end. theme of Obama’s public career and a hope remains merely a wish or a nice but Sometimes the subtext seems to be that signifi cant motif in his successful election fuzzy idea. there is nothing signifi cant we can do to campaign. In a speech given in 2004, he The stronger, deeper and more profound change the way things are, to really help the emphasised this focus: “Hope in the face of the hope, the greater the audacity. So when hurting or oppressed, or to otherwise make diffi culty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. we say with many Bible writers, “I will put a difference. And when our understanding The audacity of hope! In the end, that is my hope in God!” (see, for example, Psalms of faith—particularly in our attitudes to God’s greatest gift to us.” 42:11*), how audacious should our hope be, the future—tends to encourage us toward We should recognise the good that can built as it is on the history, promises and withdrawal, suspicion or a preoccupation come when people are inspired positively goodness of God? with escape, we need a bigger view of the by hope in various ways. But as people Because “we have this hope,” we can risk hope God offers us—which He also offers of God—more than any other group in ourselves by reaching out, embracing and to others, often through us. our world—we are called to live with the including. We can be more generous in our An audacious hope is not about a distant audacity of hope. Indeed, the Bible sug- lives of faith, how we believe and how we spot of light. Almost counterintuitively, gests that to live with an audacious hope live. At the same time as speaking up for hope is more about today than tomorrow. is integral to what it means to be part of what we believe, we can listen to and learn While hope looks to the future, a proper un- God’s kingdom now: “And we are God’s from those who are different from us. And derstanding of hope lights and transforms household, if we keep up our courage and we can dare to bring change to our com- the present. With the audacity of hope, we remain confi dent in our hope in Christ” munities and our world. Audacious hope begin to live now as we expect to in the fu- (Hebrews 3:6). is active, engaged and enlarging. ture, and we begin working to make a dif- As a church, we have tried at times to ference now in ways that fi t with how we *All Bible quotations are from the New Living market ourselves as “people with hope” expect the world will be one day. Translation. or such similar formulations. Hope has Of course, ultimately the kingdom of almost become a brand. But while hope God will be made complete by God and Nathan Brown Offi cial Paper of the South Editor Nathan Brown Mail: Signs Publishing Company Pacifi c Division Seventh-day Associate editor David Edgren 3485 Warburton Highway Adventist Church Editorial assistant Adele Nash Warburton, Vic 3799, Australia ABN 59 093 117 689 Editorial assistant Jarrod Stackelroth Phone: (03) 5965 6300 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 www.adventist Copyeditor Talitha Simmons Email Letters: [email protected] connect.org Editorial secretary Kristel Rae Email Newsfront: [email protected] Layout Mitchell Harris Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Vol 113 No 46 Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Subscriptions: South Pacifi c Division mailed within Cover: Susan Rogers Australia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. www.record.net.au Other prices on application. Printed weekly. 2 November 29, 2008 news ACFI placed in voluntary administration COORANBONG, NEW SOUTH WALES November 6, and was attended by more We feel very much for those who have suf- than 130 people. Telephone linkups were fered loss at this time.” vondale College Foundation In- also held in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Mr Brady says, “There’s been a great deal vestments Ltd (ACFI) was placed Perth and Port Macquarie for creditors un- of anxiety as to what’s really been going on in voluntary administration on Oc- able to attend the Sydney meeting. and what the likely outcome of it will be.” Atober 29, with the appointment of Subject to the investigation and work He believes, however, the meeting with PPB’s Stephen Parbery and James Lord as done by PPB’s administrators, it is esti- the administrators helped to answer a lot administrators. PPB is one of Australia’s mated those with deposits in ACFI may be of questions and dispel rumours that had leading independent strategic and advisory able to receive around 85 per cent of their been circulating. practices. money back. ACFI has deposits of around Mr Brady also addressed questions of In a statement released on the PPB web- $A54 million. whether the SPD will help those who site, Mr Parbery said administrators were A second meeting is tentatively planned have invested in ACFI. “While we look appointed as a direct result of deteriorating for December 2, although the date may at these things with our hearts, the money conditions in investment markets, resulting change. More information can be obtained the church has been given is tithes and of- in ACFI directors forming the view it was in from the PPB website, <http://ppb.com.au/ ferings, and money given to operate the the best interests of depositors for the com- site/Creditor-Info.html>. A written report church. We face constraints under tax and pany to enter voluntary administration. will be provided to creditors at least fi ve days charitable laws, and some of the trusts we ACFI is a not-for-profi t, unlisted invest- before the second meeting. have, on how they can be appropriately ment fund that managed investments on The South Pacifi c Division (SPD) is con- given for a specifi c purpose. We can’t redi- behalf of depositors. It was established by fi dent steps taken by the ACFI board of di- rect those tithes, offerings and other funds the Avondale College Foundation (ACF) in rectors and PPB administrators will result in to what is investment losses. It’s hard to say 1978, to provide income to the foundation the best possible outcome for depositors. but those are the constraints we’re under who, in turn, donated it to the college.