A Million Star Restaurant

Transcription

1 AUGUST 2018 SUNEWS GOD S GOOD NEWS FOR A YOUNG GENERATION A Million Star Restaurant What a wonderful evening it was million star rated! Many churches and organisations were represented when over 110 people joined together at the recent SU Dinner Under the Stars. Along with conversations, guests sat together and enjoyed a delicious meal (with yummy desserts) while listening to stories of how SU NT is working in many different areas. It was a good time to catch up with a lot of friends and also to make new ones as we heard how people are connected through SU. The tables and chairs were set up under the frangipani tree at Christ Church Cathedral in Darwin city and when the sun set the evening turned cool. Some simple carnival games provided extra interaction during and after the meal and were a lot of fun. Phil Zamagias was the MC for the night and he did a great job as we heard from Britt, Rachel and Merrilyn who spoke about their various roles within SU. SU Queensland CEO Peter James challenged us all to support Scripture Union in any way possible and to pray for each other. We are so thankful for the support of volunteers who helped us out on the night, especially the junior waiters who generously gave up their time to serve us. Many people who attended are already looking forward to the event next year. Will we see you there? 1

2 Young Adults Step Up to Run Yangbala Kemp Around 50 Indigenous leaders, campers and non-indigenous leaders (SU Vic team and Multicultural Christian Fellowship young adults) joined together for the 2018 Yangbala Kemp (Youth Camp). This year it was exciting to see the body of Christ working together and in particular Indigenous young adults taking more of the lead whilst being supported by the Indigenous Christian Church leaders and the non-indigenous team. This has been a goal for several years as the older ladies have wanted to pass on the leadership to the young adults. Some Highlights from Campers and Leaders: Ironing on logos to shirts. Two girls from the SU Vic team having previous experience or extended family in an Beswick and Barunga communities. Wendy being keen to share how to study the Bible. The game of being first to find the Bible story in the Bible and finding it on the timeline. Cynthia sharing with the young people. It was evident in the camp environment to see the outworking of the body of Christ. Whilst some leaders were upfront, others served in the kitchen. Some were managers while others simply hung out with the youth. Some just wanted to remain in the background and serve in various ways without being noticed. All of these roles however were important and contributed to the camp running as well as it did. An important part of the preparation for camp is leadership training. During this time, we think through what bible stories we will share, memory verse to use and the overall theme of the camp. This year, together with the Holy Spirit s inspiration, we came up with.. Bible Story: Sampson Memory Verse: Isaiah 41:10 (which we made into a song) Theme: Dedi God pikimaut pipul bla seibum im pipul (Daddy God picks His people to save His people). 2 Hitting the piñata - they had a ball Samson s hair & destroying the walls to have a water balloon flight. Going Thursday evening, so that we could make sure we were all prepared - like making sure the toilets were open, generator key had been picked up and had fuel for the generator, etc. Grateful that Daniel on the team knew how to make the generator work, etc. Teams enjoyed the anointing of the action dances. Rachael and Wendy s help buying stock (like Sampson s hair, iron on transfers, etc), sorting resources. Pats help in sorting the First Aid kit. It was great to have the SU Vic team help sort some last things and load the trailer! Many hands make light work.

3 Junior Leaders Play a Vital Role at Kids Games What better way to enjoy the southern winter of Australia than to leave it behind and head north to Darwin for a week. This is what a group of 5 young teens did as they came to serve SU NT through the Kids Games ministry. Put that together with the 7 team members from the NT and we had a group of young people looking to share the good news about Jesus with young people. This year we looked at the life of David and saw that even though he was just an ordinary person, God used him in amazing ways. We saw that he trusted God in all things just as Jesus did and just as we also can in our lives. It was great seeing young people challenged by what they heard in the bible, and for some to begin owning their faith or putting their trust in God for the first time. The junior leaders were a source of inspiration as they stepped up to the responsibilities each day and it was great to see them grow in confidence as the week progressed. It was not just an opportunity for them to speak in to young people s lives, but also for them to be challenged by God s word themselves. Some responses from them about what they learnt were: When reading the bible, I should try and draw out points rather than just read. How God interacts with everyone and how his forgiveness is amazing. God will always love me no matter what I do, I just need to ask for forgiveness. We also asked them why others should come and be a part of the team. You should come! It s a lot of fun and I m sure you would be a great addition to the team as well! It is one of the best and most memorable experiences in your life and it is good to get out of your comfort zone and get closer to people and God. It is an extremely rewarding experience where you meet and interact with a wonderful group of kids and develop leadership skills. It s a great experience and you learn to step out of your comfort zone. As well teaching the kids about God, they teach us some stuff. Do it! There is no need for an explanation just do it! Kids Games has at its heart the core of SU to make God s Good News known to children so that they may come to a personal faith in Jesus. We look forward to partnering with SU NSW again next year and having even more young people from the NT involved as well. 3

4 The Dry Season at SU NT MORE FROM KIDS GAMES 4 MORE FROM YANGBALA KEMP 5

5 Keeping Australia Safe ChildSafe Road Show In God s sight, all people are precious and ought to be cared for properly by the different organisations they come into contact with throughout their lives. This must include good practices around appointment of staff and volunteers, training of those people, and measures to keep programs and the physical location of activities safe for children and vulnerable people. Each event will have presentation and representation from: a leading Law Firm sharing the major legal requirements for Organisations in child safety the Insurance sector to cover insurance requirements for organisations working with children the ChildSafe team. Scripture Union has strived to ensure that children and young people in their care have been kept safe, yet this is not always the case in all organisations as we have seen from the recent Royal Commission Enquiry into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The sessions will also provide an open Q&A session with questions from the floor. In response to this, ChildSafe (a partner of SU Australia) is running information sessions for community leaders and volunteers in organisational safety. At a time when community organisations have been shamed for failing in their duty of care, ChildSafe is here to help to promote child well-being and safety from harm, and respond to the needs of organisations to help them sustain this safety effort. Across the NT there will be 4 sessions conducted in Alice Springs, Darwin Palmerston, and Katherine. The information sessions will cover: A brief understanding of the Royal Commission report and recommendations that have been made in December 2017 that will impact community organisations. An overview of the new 10 National Standards for Child Safe Organisations. Information on how ChildSafe can support organisations as they work through these issues. 6 Who is this session for? Volunteers and staff who work with children in any roles, such as sporting coaches, youth group and children s program leaders such as scouts, girl guides, church and other community organisations Leaders in organisations, responsible for Child Protection Policy and governance Community services workers who have responsibility for children, and work in institutions responding to children with histories of harm such as Foster Care, hospitals, mental health services and other allied health professionals Parents, caregivers and anyone with an interest in the outcomes of the Royal Commission Enquiry into Institutional responses to Child Sexual Abuse. We hope that you may be able to attend one of these valuable meetings as we partner in this challenge to make Australia child safe. Please let others know about these important meetings. All the events and booking information are available on the website

6 A Short Visit Gives Great Encouragement He wants to follow Jesus said Beverley* about her son Herbert, who was sitting there having been recently released from prison. I was on a one-week visit to our normal home, the Aboriginal community in Epenarra (having left in February for health reasons). It was great to be back, seeing God at work and remembering the many gospel opportunities that exist in this beautiful part of Central Australia. During the week I was there, Herbert came to church and men s Bible study, and since I have returned to Perth, the Christian couple who is staying in our house for 10 weeks told me Herbert is still attending these. I don t know what will happen to Herbert. In the few years since we moved to Epenarra, we have seen a number of men want to follow Jesus but then lose interest just like the seed in the parable of the sower that fell on the rocky ground or among the thornbushes. But we know the power of God and his word so we pray for a harvest in Herbert s life that far exceeds what we can imagine. younger ladies is teaching the kids at Sunday School. I was also encouraged to see two new Christian paintings that the ladies have done, showing their continued desire to engage with God s word in a way that they can understand and teach others with. To top off a great week, Herbert s mother gave me 6 necklaces that she had painstakingly made from seeds with holes burned through them, to give to my wife and kids. I was extremely touched by her Christian generosity, as I was by all the ladies who continually said to me all week that they were praying for Jane and our family. We hope to go back to Epenarra, God willing, in early 2019, provided Jane has recovered enough from her health issues last year. Currently she is doing much better and we thank you for your continued prayers for her. In the meantime, I continue to do some language learning, preaching and sharing at churches. I have also had the opportunity to share at a couple of Christian schools and a youth group. *names have been changed It was great to have sweet fellowship with the church ladies in Epenarra. These ten or so ladies have been faithfully serving Jesus for many years. Wonderfully, one of the SU Across Australia SU has a very long and wonderful history of ministry with children, young people and families and Bible engagement throughout Australia. The state and territory SU movements have grown distinctive ministries over many years. The importance of our mission with children, young people and families, in partnership with churches, continues to grow. We re in the midst of unprecedented social and technological change, and the vast majority of children, young people and families have little connection with Jesus, his Good News or Christian community. More than 50,000 young Australians are leaving the church every year. As well as this mission imperative, a number of our SU movements across Australia are experiencing significant sustainability challenges. Over the past couple of years, the state CEOs/Directors and Board Chairs have developed strong relationships and, as we ve prayed and shared together, we ve had a growing sense that God wants to do something significant through SU across Australia. In April, they agreed to plan the formation of a national SU movement that individual SU movements could become a part of, at their own choosing. The most significant factor in the design of a national SU movement is the continued support and empowerment of grassroots, local ministry with children, young people and families. As a national movement we are not wanting to replicate what others might have done, but tailor a unique model that clearly expresses the uniqueness of SU in Australia. We are keen to consult widely and gain insights from a diverse range of people within SU NT about the shape of a national movement (this will also be done across Australia). We will be conducting consultation meetings shortly and people will also be able to give input online. More information about this will be available shortly. We d really appreciate if you would pray for this journey for Jesus leading and our ongoing discernment! 7

7 Prayer Give thanks for ministry opportunities through Yangbala Kemp, Kids Games and RI. Pray for the future direction of SU NT and for people considering becoming council members. Pray that wise decisions can be made to allow for more ministry to occur in the NT. Pray for SU Australia that God will continue to lead them and that they will be discerning in decisions that they make. Pray for Aileen and Rachel as they put together the youth camp video. Give thanks for Cynthia that she is already beginning to talk about camp for next year. Upcoming Events 5 Sept Prayer Meeting 15 Sept SU NT AGM 3 Oct Prayer Meeting ChildSafe Roadshow 22 Oct Alice Springs / 7-9pm / Mercure Resort 24 Oct Darwin / 1-3pm / Tracy Village Sports Club 24 Oct Palmerston / 7-9pm / Quest Palmerston 29 Oct Katherine / 7-9pm / Knotts Crossing Resort Thank God for the Dinner Under the Stars and the opportunity to hear about the work of SU. Pray for the Letcher family that God willing, they will be able to return to Epenarra next year. From the Director s Desk RICHARD RILEY Dinner Under the Stars, Kids Games, Katherine Christian Convention, Yangbala Kemp, Chaplaincy, Training events and Religious Instruction in our schools all add to the day to day buzz of ministry occurring around SU. Throughout all of this we have seen God s gracious provisions for the work that he is doing in and through the staff and volunteers of SU and we give thanks and praise to God for all he has done. Yet as I sit and write, SU NT is facing some challenges. There is the continued need to be able to fund the activities and growth that we would love to see happen at SU. There is a need for more volunteers as Jesus said, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (Luke 10:2) There is a need in particular for new council members to assist Susannah. So please consider if God wants you to be a part in helping with any of these challenges. Just as there are challenges, there is also joy. Joy in seeing young people come to hear the Good News about Jesus. Joy when people share their faith with others. Joy when visiting communities and seeing growth and perseverance in people. Joy in knowing people are praying. Then there is great joy and rejoicing in heaven (and on earth) seeing even one person come to have faith in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. So in all things, I look forward to the way God will continue to use the movement of SU for the purposes of his kingdom and I ask that you join with me in praying for SU, but also for the people of the Territory that they will see Jesus for who he is and what he has done and turn and put their trust in him. Digital News is just a click away With relevant updates just for you, it s the best way to stay in the SU loop and see the impact of your support. Simply contact us with your address to be added to our list. 8 Office Address 7 Rowling Street, Casuarina NT 0810 Postal Address PO Box 41914, Casuarina NT 0811 T (08) E info@sunt.org.au