STAFF. AM Congregational Pastor Mark Falson

Transcription

1 Welcome 2/2014

2 STAFF AM Congregational Pastor Mark Falson Breathe Congregational Pastor Nicole Regan Children s Pastor Carolyn Schache carolyn@baysidecc.com.au Youth Pastor Rachel Li rachel@baysidecc.com.au Youth Intern Tom Burton Communications/Admin Amanda Faase amanda@baysidecc.com.au Community Support Coordinator Matthew Pettett Concord West Public School 2014 OVERSIGHT TEAM Steve Bartlett Rob Kirk Nathan Pearson Tania Tsang Ian Willis OFFERING ACCOUNT Bayside Community Church BSB Account No CONTACT US Web info@baysidecc.com.au Office/ASC 59 Arthur Street Homebush West Phone Mail PO Box 338 Concord West

3 Welcome to Bayside This term at Bayside we will be focusing in on Heroes of Mission as we celebrate Mission Month in June. We will be looking at the examples of those who have been and are still, out and about spreading the good news of Jesus Christ across our world, those who have followed their personal call to be part of God s mission in our world. Jesus says you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."acts 1:8 (NLT) Hearing their stories is going to be amazing! But wait there s more! These Heroes of Mission, they are just everyday people like us, with jobs and families and even pets. Isn t that a cool thought?...these people, these Heroes are just like us! So why are we calling them Heroes of Mission if they are just like us, you ask? Well they certainly don t have superpowers and move around in the dark of night wearing tight lycra and ridiculously small underwear. They have however courageously and whole-heartedly taken up the personal call to mission and that is something to be admired, something to look up to, an example to follow. So this Mission Month at Bayside we have invited in a number of speakers who are key leaders in Missions organisations in our country and who have seen for themselves what s going on around the world. They will encourage us all to take up our calling to serve and bring the good news of Jesus our Saviour to those in our communities, our country, and in our world. We will also be receiving updates from our overseas missionary partners to keep us up-to-date on what God is doing globally where they are serving. This term we want Bayside to continue to grow and shape our heart for mission together and follow the example set by the Heroes of Mission past and present. And as for the future? Maybe it will be you we are hearing about in years to come! Tom Burton (for the Bayside Missions Team)

4 At Bayside our commitment is not just to our local community, but also to what God is doing throughout our city, country and world. Mission is the heartbeat of what we are on about at Bayside; it s wrapped up in all of our values, and one in particular: Kingdom Living. Kingdom Living: changing our world with Jesus Relentlessly seeking to connect people with Jesus Intentionally biasing our time and resources towards those who are yet to enter the Kingdom Actively making a difference in the world, promoting God s compassion, justice and peace Bayside contributes to the day-to-day living and ministry expenses of 3 of our 4 missionary partners Neale Valentine, Bob & Chris Prouty and Jonno & Heather Crane. This financial support comes out of the church s general offering and from a special missions offering that will be collected during Mission Month in June. In June last year we sent out Mick and Tammy Dunne (and Jack, Mark and Harry) who have paid their way to serve as volunteers on a hospital ship for 2 years. We were able to bless them with money from Float My Boat to cover the boys education costs for the remainder of the time they are away. Neale headed to North Asia in December 2012 as the first person from Bayside to go and serve overseas. He has gone to an area where the Christian message is neither widely known nor told. Bob and Chris Prouty are known to many of us as they are part of the Bayside family, often at the morning service. For many years now, they have been involved in local and global evangelism through Here s Life and Campus Crusade for Christ. Bayside has been supporting Jonno and Heather Crane for over 10 years in their work in Mozambique where they had to learn 2 languages before they could get started! For this mission edition of the newsletter we asked our missionary partners for an update on where they are up to in their mission journey, how they themselves have grown, stories of lives touched and changed, things we could be praying for them, and the joys and challenges of the community and culture they are a part of. Read on...

5 The Dunnes on board the Africa Mercy ship We are 6 weeks out from the finish of school and 7 weeks out from Field Service finishing here at Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo. The two graphs below show the Field Service Statistics up to the end of March. To further explain the graphs, eye surgery has now finished it is all follow up; Gynaecological Fistula surgeries finished last week patients are still in the Ward with many already at the HOPE Centre; Maxillo-facial surgery continues throughout the entire Field Service. I (Tammy) can send you so many stories of lives changed but thought I would just tell you a bit more about Annie the patient I have befriended. When I first met Annie, about two days after she d arrived and after her surgery, she was still walking around with a catheter and bag. She seemed shy and the weight of the world was on her shoulders. I could tell she had suffered. In the two weeks since I first met her, we have spent many hours together mainly laughing. She has slowly healed her catheter is out and she is now dry. Unfortunately, she has an infection at present so she cannot go to the HOPE Centre for outpatients yet hopefully soon. In the mean time, it is a joy to watch her regain her spirit of fun. She now walks with her head high and sings praises to God for her healing. It has been amazing to witness the change.

6 Annie with the other VVF patients at their dress ceremony For Mick and I personally, it has been amazing to watch our boys grow in their faith. I wrote to Louise on Sunday, explaining how we all sat in Church on Palm Sunday evening, without books etc to keep them amused. 2 boys joined in the singing (not Mark still too cool) and they all quietly listened to the sermon. I have prayed for YEARS for this! Thank God that we have arrived at this point. Mega praises! We also have lots of discussions about what they learn in Devotions and Bible classes at school. Praise Points Thanks that Tammy s Mum is healing well after her illness Thanks for being part of this mission For a successful visit by the President and the doors to other countries that may open as a result For patient healing especially Annie For the short term volunteers that keep coming Thanks for all those who support us through finances and prayer Prayer Points For continued patient healing For energy the crew is fatigued and there is still 7 weeks of work to go before we sail For final exams for Jack For the next country, Guinea, and the Ebola virus outbreak there wisdom and guidance for those making decisions for the ship For our families as we won t be home this year For the new school principal and family coming from Australia. They are from Tathra and lost a close friend in the shark attack.

7 Best cultural things Totally French. We have all improved. We love the language and the bread that comes with it!! The boys and I all played Uno in French with Annie yesterday which is awesome. Friends. We have made good friends. Some people say that when you don t have family on hand, you have to ask friends which builds stronger friendships faster. The flip side, is that our closest friends, Mark and Gretchen Bullock are heading back to the States and also one of my good friends, Nikki. Others are going, but these guys we will miss the most.. Biggest challenges Time and space. We are always in community we can hear what is going on all around us, all the time. A break from that will be good. The good news is that we have all adapted to the food. Or I have let go of it! We have made heaps of good friends and have no end of opportunities to go out and do stuff ashore. Main thing is that it can become a bit of a rat race or endless summer where you are just ready for a break where you don t have to watch the time so you don t miss dinner or breakfast on the weekends. Or you don t have community meetings to go to. All a bit crazy really though crazy good not crazy bad. Local bike shop Contact the Dunnes mick.dunne@mercyships.org tammy.dunne@mercyships.org

8 Bob & Chris Prouty Campus Crusade for Christ Australia This year Bob is helping to start Discovery Bible Studies in Australia, Africa, the Middle East, the Ukraine, SE Asia and the USA. Here he is helping families and groups of friends discover for themselves what God is like and how He wants them to live. Most of the overseas groups meet on Skype where the people can hear each other s voice. Some are text chat. These groups are simple to lead and very flexible in format. We would love to help YOU start Discovery Bible studies in YOUR neighbourhood. What makes these groups different than the typical Bible study? we usually meet in the homes of non-christians or new believers. everyone takes turns facilitating the group discussion. everyone points out the truth of the passage and how they plan to put into practise what they have discovered from the discussion. each week the members are asked who they shared last week s lesson with and what social needs they met in the community. We expect non-christians to do both of these things and they do. These differences allow the groups to multiply rapidly. Here is a picture of a group which we attend. It started in Grace s house. Ayse has already started two groups in Turkish. Grace has started another group with some friends. Our goal is to help start 600,000 groups in 60 languages in 120 countries by 2020.

9 Chris also serves as the chaplain at the local public school. Here she provides a listening ear and an eager hand to help strengthen the caring community: She teaches children to knit so they can make blankets for poor people in Australia and other countries. She leads a weekly playgroup for pre-school children. She organizes parenting classes and other programs which help parents relate better to their children. She organizes community parties to celebrate important milestones in the life of the school community. Chris was recognized as the local Woman of the Year for her leadership at Homebush West Public School and outstanding volunteer work with refugees, families in need and victims of domestic abuse. This past year has been a hard one for us. Chris s cancer has made major changes in our lifestyle and the ways in which we have been able to minister. We want to thank the church members for their support and encouragement. We think of this often as we enjoy the backyard which you landscaped, giving us all a garden retreat for meals and afternoon teas. Bob has been working on a big computer project to help people all over the world start Discovery Bible Studies. He has needed to learn a lot of new skills for this and often feels he is in over his head. Fortunately, God is good and He regularly shows Bob where to turn for help. Right now he could use the help of some programmers to learn the latest version of Drupal. What do you like best about the culture and community where you are? The ethnic diversity and all the good food and conversation which goes with that. What is the biggest challenge to being one with the community where you are? Racial intolerance. It is hard being an American in Sydney. Right now our local State Member is promoting racial discord between the Korean/Chinese and Japanese communities: allowing a bigger ethnic block to shame a smaller ethnic block over something that happened 70 years ago on another continent. I have friends in both camps and I think that bullying is wrong. Contact Bob and Chris 61 Arthur St Strathfield NSW 2135 T: E: prouty@hereslife.com

10 Neale in North Asia So much has happened in the last 16 or so months. I have been intensively learning language and culture since I arrived. It has been a growing experience, to say the least, to learn the local language here. It is one of the hardest for an English speaker to learn, I am not gifted in language learning and it has been said the older you are before learning another langauge the harder it gets. While progress has been slow I am celebrating that there has been progress and each month I am able to communicate more in the local language. Just recently I found myself getting a little annoyed with a local when I was trying to order something in the local language and they where attempting to speak to me in English which I found harder to understand than if they had spoken to me in the local language! So I m asking that He would give me more patience and continued opportunities to grow in my language ability. Another great encouragement for me is the fact that I have been blessed with a number of good friendships with locals. There s over a dozen locals that I am meeting with on a fairly regular basis as time permits. It has been great to be able to share life with them as I learn language and culture from them and share some of my story with them. Prayer and Thanksgiving Points Very thankful for the support of many that keeps me here. My finances are tracking fairly close to budget and thankful for the many people who pray for me on a regular basis. Thankful for the progress made with Language learning and that I can communicate more than I could even a month ago but still a long way to go to be at a fully functioning level. Thankful for the many local friends that I have met since being here and the help they provide me, may I also be a help for them Thankful for my team mates and the support they give.

11 What do you like best about the culture and community where you are? The local people and their sense of community. Friendship is very important in this society. While sometimes it can be hard to make new friends once you do become somebody's friend then you become somewhat responsible for that friend and helping them out as much as possible. I have been very lucky to have been helped by many people and I hope that I can also be a good friend to them by helping them out as the need arises. What is the biggest challenge to being one with the community where you are? No matter what I am always going to be somewhat of an outsider. Sometimes this can be hard as I tend to attract a lot of attention no matter what I do. I also have a tendency to not want to be the centre of attention and that at times can be difficult. Hopefully as I grow in my understanding of the culture around me I will be able to blend in more and not attract unwanted or undesired attention. Also may people not notice me because of my cultural inappropriateness but may they notice me because of the one who sent me and be pointed towards him. Walking down the street very close to home If people would like to get Neale s weekly please him on euodoo@swissmail.org

12 The Crane Family In Lichinga, Mozambique with Global Interaction The Cranes will be at Bayside on Sunday 22nd June at 10am and breathe! We ll get to ask them all our questions then, but for now here is an extract from the latest edition of the Cranium!! newsletter We re back in Oz for a few months to enjoy catching up with family and friends after being away since July Among other things, we ve been to my nephew s wedding, a graduation, snuggled a new grand-niece born a few weeks ago and generally got to spend time with those who are precious to us. Meanwhile back in Mozambique things continue to progress, albeit slowly, except for the Falconers who had their brand new baby girl outside reception at the hospital cos things progressed a little too quickly! :) Her name is Katelyn and was born on Jan 30th. [ This takes the team to 25 adults and kids] The whole team got to be together in one place for a retreat in Malawi last year (including the Goods family). It was so good to be able to continue to deepen our relationships with each other which is so foundational to all we are about. Immigration Issues You might remember from the last Cranium!! that we were going to try something bold to get the Goods into Mozambique? We thought that there were two possible places where this plan could go wrong. Either at the embassy in South Africa or in Lichinga and the team made plans accordingly. Unfortunately we were wrong. Whilst the Goods were able to procure visas in South Africa, when we hit the border, we were denied entry. A battle royal has ensued as we continue to fight

13 basically anyone to enter Mozambique through our province. We have the complete support of the Provincial Government but the correct lines of authority have only been discovered as time has progressed. We re no longer in the dark days of being on the verge of expulsion and we re hearing good things everywhere we go instead of bad things. In the past we believed we d be able to stay despite all the evidence to the contrary, but now the evidence we see and hear is supporting that belief. We like this a lot more, but victories take time and we re so grateful that God has given us patience and perseverance to continue with the fight. Thanks for standing with us in this! We re Grandparents!?! You may not know this (cos we haven t really mentioned it) but when we first arrived in Mozambique in 2004, a little boy called Paulo who lived across the road and whose parents had both died not too long before we arrived, captured our hearts. We re really grateful that he became close friends with our kids, considers Heather and I his mum and dad, and has been a big part of our journey here ever since. Paulo has had some very tough times over the years...his only sister also died a few years ago and we ve struggled together to keep him in school, find places for him to live and jobs to hold down. So we weren t toooo surprised when Paulo told us a while ago that he was going to be a dad. So, whilst we didn t expect to become grandparents this way, we ll take it and run with it. Life is often a little messy but we ve been learning that there is usually real beauty in the messiness of life. We are happy that Paulo, who has been so lonely at times, now has his own family to love and who love him. Please pray for this little family as they continue to live out their faith in circumstances that are so different to ours Prayer Points Please keep praying for a BREAKTHROUGH in immigration so our team mates, the Goods, can come in Pray for perseverance and strength for our team mates already in Moz. The pressures are intense Pray for the remaining shortfall in our support to be made up so we can return to Moz on schedule in July Thank God with us for the safe arrival of Katelyn Falconer Jonno, Heather and their children Samuel, Caleb, Hannah, Micah, Josiah We are passionate about empowering communities to find their own distinctive ways of following Jesus

14 SHACC Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church Did you know Sydney has 6 sister cities? The first relationship began to emerge with San Francisco, USA in The other cities are Nagoya in Japan, Wellington in New Zealand, Portsmouth in UK, Guangzhou in China and Florence in Italy. Bayside is developing a friendship with a sister church in regional NSW SHACC! Why do we want to pursue a friendship with another church? A little while ago, our leadership had an idea for Bayside to pursue an ongoing friendship with a community of believers within NSW (not too far away) who live out their faith in a different context to our own. We have the opportunity to be of mutual support and encouragement. We can learn much, no matter our age, by looking at life and faith through a perspective different to our own. Who is SHACC? A community of Jesus followers in the Shoalhaven region of south coast NSW. The church consists mainly of people from the local Aboriginal community but is inclusive of all people. Why did we choose SHACC? It could be said God chose SHACC for us and us for SHACC! Our initial knowledge of SHACC came through the Burton family who have been worshipping at SHACC for 2 ½ years during their regular visits the south coast. What do they consider their purpose? We believe that Jesus Christ can revive the Shoalhaven community. We hope to glorify the Lord as we faithfully serve him, testifying, both at church and in the world, in our words and life, to the love of God for all people in Christ Jesus. We invite you to share the blessings and mission. The words are different to our mission and vision statements but the heart of it is very familiar to us!

15 What does community life look like at SHACC? Very similar to ours! Sunday worship with a strong focus on God s word, singing, praying and fellowship. They share Sunday lunch together once a month- different to us! SHACC has life groups too (although they don t use this terminology); a men s Friday group and a women s group. How s our friendship going? Our emerging friendship began last year, in 2013, when a group of about 15 visited to share in worship and Sunday lunch. On May 18 th, a group will return to SHACC to again share in worship and fellowship over lunch. We have already made a commitment to support them in prayer and they have made the same commitment to us. We look forward to exploring into the future how our friendship will develop. How can we support SHACC in prayer? Praise God that SHACC will celebrate their 5 th birthday on June 29. Thank Him for the elders in the church who are faithful and wise Praise Him for the enthusiasm of young believers. Pray for their protection Ask our Father for the provision of a minister to lead the church Pray for patience and wisdom as they explore the possibilities of new leadership structures. Dave and Linda of SHACC

16 Sunday Gatherings 6:30pm Sundays (except the last of the month) Breathe gathers in the Torino Building, 4 Stromboli Strait Wentworth Point. This is a space for everyone, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey. Our gatherings are relaxed, informal, discussion based and communal. Come along and eat with us, learn and share your thoughts, and get to know some new friends in the process. It s church, but not as you know it! May Gatherings My Spirituality in My Workplace Sometimes it can be difficult to work out how following Jesus in our everyday work life looks, whilst other times we are acutely aware of the need for wisdom and guidance beyond our own to navigate the hurdles of our real life work environments. This month we will discuss successes, issues, struggles and the examples of others who see their work through the eyes of Jesus centred spirituality. Feel welcome to come along and share an issue/success/struggle that is relevant to you and how you have wrestled with it. Is there something you have learnt along the way that has shaped: how you integrate your faith with who you are in the workplace? Or how you think God sees your work/workplace? Or how you deal with a particular issue at work? We are looking forward to hearing from AM congregation friends as they share their experiences with us- thanks to Carolyn Schache & Daniel Debenedetti for sharing your stories with Breathe in May. Come along and be part of the conversation! For more info contact Nath Pearson Coming Up in June Gatherings The Bible s Big Picture & Heroes of Mission Prayer Requests That we would make and deepen many new relationships with our community over the coming term s activities That Jesus would be clearly seen in us in all we do That we all would be attracted to Jesus and want more of him in our lives For growth! For healing & wellness for those struggling with various illnesses

17 English Conversation Group Wednesdays 7:30pm (except the last of the month) ECG has had a great first term with over a dozen different people attending the group for support in their English language development. It has been great for new volunteers like Katrina, Nicole and Melinda to see what a huge and meaningful difference it makes to people to feel supported as they learn. It is such a great space to welcome, embrace and care for those who are isolated due to language and cultural barriers. Would you like to assist, or do you know someone who could benefit from learning conversational English in a relaxed environment? Chat to Michael Spend Your Saturday Nights Changing Lives (Including Your Own!) Term 2 includes several Saturday nights out on the road with the Vinnies Van, bringing food and genuine friendship to those living rough in Penrith and Parramatta. By partnering with St Vincent De Paul s Vinnies Van those on the team have the privilege of building up people who are amongst the most vulnerable in our city. Not only do we get to impact their lives for a few moments but we are changed in the process it is a sure way to see the image of God in the faces and stories of ordinary people. Want to be part of this life changing experience? Contact Kath kathsimmonds@yahoo.com.au. Next Breathe Prayer Gathering 7:30pm Tuesday May 6 Breathe is gathering to pray for life giving spirituality to infuse our church community and our neighbourhood. We want to see more of God s power at work in our lives and community so we figure prayer is the best place to start. All welcome! Want more info? Contact Nath Pearson

18 Concord West Public School* Our Youth lead the service Sunday 11th may KidZone and Priority One are on for kids (age 3 to Year 5) and youth (Years 6-9) during school terms. Find out more about KidZone from Carolyn Schache or Priority One from Rachel Li Podcasts of the morning s message can be downloaded at our website *378 Concord Rd (near Killola Ave). Parking in Queen St. Want to know more about our morning service? Contact Mark Falson CROSSEYED youth group meets 7pm Fridays during school terms Arthur St Centre, Homebush West Gold coin donation For anyone in Years 6-12 Contact Rachel Li

19 Some things to pray for together Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 (NIV) Pray... for Neale, the Prouty s, the Dunne s and the Cranes all serving the Lord in their different contexts. Check out their info and profile pages in this Mission Edition newsletter to get a sense of what to pray more specifically for each of them. Pray that they will have what they need each day spiritually, emotionally and physically. Pray for God s grace, and for patience, resilience and perseverance for each of them for the Lord s favour and for fruitfulness through relationship and connection in each of our footprint areas and surrounds: for the people of Wentworth Point, Newington, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush West, Concord West, Liberty Grove and Rhodes. Pray for a spiritual hunger amidst the demands and busyness of people s lives that will not be satisfied except in Jesus for SHACC (Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church see article in this newsletter for more prayer items) as they think about ways of reaching out into the Aboriginal community. Give thanks that this is on people's agenda. Pray first of all that people will find ways of inviting their friends and relatives along to ShACC gatherings and that those who do come will feel welcomed for wisdom, resilience and grace for our Oversight team and staff team. Pray that each person involved in these leadership roles may know God s love and presence in their lives in real and fresh ways and for spiritual refreshment for each of our leaders for the whole Bayside community during Mission Month in June that we may be more than just open to what the Lord is calling us to as a church and as individuals. That we would have eyes and ears wide open Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Phil. 4:6-7 (TNIV) PRAY on Sunday mornings at Concord West Public 1st classroom from 9.30am PRAY on Wednesday mornings in Wing Parade from 6.30am

20 Soltura Specialty Coffee is a not-for-profit coffee company established in 2012 by 2 coffee-loving Aussie mates that partners with Global Interaction in working amongst the least reached people groups around the world. They are committed to the truth that God s greatest gift to humanity is a life-changing relationship with Jesus and that this changes everything: individuals, families, communities, nations and the whole world. Soltura coffee is ultra premium roasted, fully traceable and ethically sourced and locally roasted and 100% of profits are given away. Read their story and see what inspires them at and think about switching your coffee habits! It s suitable for plungers, filter or espresso machines. There s no minimum order size and businesses and individuals can purchase from them. We ll have it for you to try in June during Mission Month. The word soltura is Spanish for unchained; released; unrestrained that is: freedom. And that s what we re on about. Real freedom: Freedom from oppression. Freedom from poverty. Freedom from fear. Freedom from hopelessness.