Uniting Church in Australia
Presbytery of North Queensland
PRESBYTERY PROMPTS
29 Wentworth Ave Mundingburra 4812 Ph: 07 4779 5818 presbnq@bigpond.net.au
Website: www.presbyterynq.net
FORTY-
On the Grapevine…
Hi everyone,
With this last Presbytery Prompts for 2007 we send blessings and prayers from the Presbytery Office and the Manse to you all for Christmas and pray you experience the refreshing presence and power of the Holy Spirit during 2008.
It has been a very busy year and one that has seen a great deal of effective ministry, mission and pastoral care in all congregations and agencies across the north. I really enjoy those TV programmes in the latter days of every year that look back on the significant events of the year just gone. I will resist the temptation to look back on 2007 in that way; I will leave that to you in your setting to reflect on how God has been working in your place of ministry. Could I encourage you to take time after Christmas to do just that and to reflect on God’s goodness and grace in the midst of both the joys and challenges of this past year.
As I reflect on this my third year in the role of Chairperson and Presbytery Minister in North Queensland, I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your individual ministry contributions as well as the way that you have collectively contributed to the ministry of God through the Uniting Church in North Queensland. I believe that we have achieved a lot this year but in the words of John Wesley, “the best is yet to come”.
I want to thank you all for working together as a team. I believe that throughout the North Queensland Uniting Church there is unity but not uniformity. I celebrate the fact that we are able to dialogue with each other and share our different views in love. The prayer of Jesus in John 17, “that they may be one” is a very important prayer of our Lord that we must never forget he prayed.
As we focus on 2008 and beyond as a Presbytery, we really do want to aim to be “At the Top” in many areas of worship, witness and service. Our specific focus for 2008 will be developed in the early part of 2008 in preparation for the May Presbytery meeting.
(For your information, the Moderator of the United Church of Papua New Guinea, Rev Samson Lowa and his wife Jessie, will be present at that May meeting and participate in the Presbytery ministers retreat the following week.)
The Qld Synod’s Christmas promotion theme this year is “There’s more than one man behind Christmas – revisit the Christmas story with us this year”. I know that many congregations have picked this up and have used the cards as an outreach tool this Christmas. On the Queensland Synod home page there is a clear link to many Queensland congregations outlining their Christmas worship information. Aitkenvale is at the top of the list,(they are in alphabetical order) of the more than 10 congregations from the north who have listed their Christmas worship times. (Another example of “At the Top” Paul)
I pray that you will all be able to have some time out with your family and friends over Christmas and the New Year and that it is both a special time and a refreshing time for you.
May you all know God’s peace and presence in the midst of the busy-
Pastoral Notes and prayer points:
· Pray for safety as people travel on the roads this Christmas.
· Pray for those individuals for whom this Christmas will be especially lonely or difficult.
· Pray for the Afu family as they cope with the various illnesses and challenges they have regarding care for family members from a distance.
· Give thanks for the donations that continue to come in for the TI manse appeal as well as the many offers of volunteer work party support.
· Pray for Melanie Smith, our Synod Payroll supervisor who had a sporting accident over 3 weeks ago and is still in pain and not able to work. She has asked for the prayers of the church for her healing. Pray also for Carola as she “holds the fort”.
· Pray for congregations and ministers seeking placements at the moment.
· Pray for Mosese and Witness Fangupo as they begin packing to come to Tully in the New Year.
Prompts for 2008 A reminder that the first Prompts for 2008 will be issued in mid January.
Travel to PNG: Bruce and Margie will be travelling to Port Moresby from 16th to 22nd January to be present, along with the Director of Uniting International Mission, Kerry Enright, at the 40th anniversary celebrations for the United Church of Papua New Guinea. Please pray for those celebrations as the United Church continues to provide important spiritual and practical support to a nation that is largely very poor with limited health and education for many people.
Ministers Fringe Benefits 2008 (repeated from last week)
This is an important aspect of the remuneration package allowed for us as ministers
in the Uniting Church. The Australian Tax Office has clear guidelines and protocols
that must be followed. In the past few years the procedures have become a bit slack
both from the Synod processes and also the way ministers have sought to access the
funds in their fringe accounts. In order to comply with tax office guidelines our
Synod department has re-
PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY as there are some changes that may affect you. As the letter from Jim Barry states, if you have any questions give Carola, Melanie or Jim a call.
Don’t forget to use the Synod 1300 822 753 (local call cost) number and ask to be transferred to the person you wish to speak to.
REMEMBER also that the form MUST be returned to the Synod office by the 5th January otherwise your total stipend will be paid into your normal account and you will be taxed accordingly.
I would like to remind you that Presbytery Prompts is a communication tool for the entire Presbytery, not just from me to you. Please continue to share events, thoughts, ideas with us all. I look forward to hearing from you what is happening in ministry and mission in your area and what exciting plans you have for 2008.
RESOURCES
(Don’t forget this section of Prompts. It is for you to share with the Presbytery any books/cds /websites or other resources that you have found useful in your personal or congregational life.)
HUMOUR ME
Today’s offering from “You won’t Die Laughing” by Patricia Cameron-
“The highest drug in the world is giving”. Patch Adams.
When we do a good deed we feel good, today find a way of doing something special for someone else. For example... Praise people, smile at a stranger, make a coffee for someone busier than you, thank people or let someone into the traffic.
Blessings to you all,
Bruce C.
Steve’s Stuff…
Greetings in the name of Christ!
I can’t believe that I am starting to say to people already, “I’ll see you next year”, or “I’ll be in touch next year”. Each year just seems to fly by. Very soon it will be goodbye 2007 and welcome 2008. A new year always presents us with a new beginning and new ministry possibilities. As your church plans for next year I encourage you to ask the question, “What ministry are we providing for children, youth, early adults, families and new believers?”
There are several presbytery wide camping events planned for next year. I made the comment a few prompts ago that we don’t run an event for the sake of running an event and to fill up the calendar. An event is a ministry opportunity for your congregation to connect into. You may connect in to help birth a new ministry such as a kids club. Or maybe to expose your youth to a wider church event. You may identify people who could form a part of a leadership team for one of the events. What a great place for people to explore their gifts and grow as leaders. Start planning to be there now. Events only work if you support them.
Last week the presbytery leadership team agreed to have a youth camp over the Queen’s
Birthday long-
· Several people have indicated that they are keen to be involved in the organisation
of this camp over a long-
· It enables Ministers who are directly involved in their congregations youth ministry to attend and be with their young people.
· It doesn’t take young people and key leaders away from their congregations over this significant weekend and more importantly the worship services.
· The camp will be cheaper as it goes for 3 days rather than 4.
Below is the final list of events and dates for 2008:
11th – 14th January – Summer Madness, Sunshine Coast, grades 8-
6th – 9th June -
6th – 7th September – Kids Camp Out, Southern Zone
13th – 14th September – Kids Camp Out, Northern Zone
17th – 19th October – Young Adult Retreat
Please mark these dates in your churches diary.
As I am on holidays next week I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support this year. I pray that you will meet Christ in a meaningful way this Christmas and have a great start to 2008.
What’s New…
LIFELINE CALLS FOR PRESENTS
Lifeline Community Care North Queensland has run out of Christmas gifts for the people it helps. The organisation is appealing for gifts for 30 of its elderly clients (Australiana books) and 20 young men music or video gift vouchers) in one of its youth programs. The presents will be distributed next Friday and Monday. Donations can be left, unwrapped, at any Lifeline store. Contact 4779 9911 for more details.
A MESSAGE FROM CRAIG MISCHEWSKI – TOWNSVILLE CENTRAL UC
O holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to us we pray,
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels Their great glad tidings tell
Oh,
come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel.
This is a powerful hymn, it speaks of the child named God with us, who defeats the power of sin and death in our lives. The cost to Bethlehem to have the Christ child born there was immense. We read in Matthew 2:16 that Herod was afraid of this rival king and in his fear and fury he ordered all the boy children of that town to be killed. This story is a far cry from the tinsel covered, gift wrapped, happy clappy Christmas nativity espoused to us through tinsel town (Hollywood). Even the name of Hollywood alerts us to the distorted nature of their version of Christmas. Holly is the tree associated to Christmas in European cultures and tinsel (as in Tinsel Town) is used to dress up the Christmas tree. Also, the wood from the holly tree was preferred for making white chess pieces (which makes me think Tinsel Town threats us, the viewing public, as pawns). Perhaps I am stretching the associations a bit far, but indulge me for a while.
Ever since the birth of Christ there have been those who have sought to distort His message. We read about this in Paul’s letters admonishing the early Church to hold onto the true Gospel, and we are bombarded by various epistles written since then claiming that Jesus didn’t die, that He married Mary Magdalene and so on. The Hollywood version of Christmas is presented through the softened lens of false peace based upon good will dished out in lavish doses by Santa, major shopping outlets, and the military might of the Western world. Of course, I am referring to the Christmas packages we have all been exposed to through Hollywood movies. This is a long way from the prophetic vision of Mary the mother of Jesus and of the Magi who knew a king when they saw one. This vision calls the world to see that the hope for peace is not in our prosperity, or our military might, nor is it in our scientific brilliance. Peace is found through faith in the One who comes as the Child, the same One who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. If it is peace we are after, then we must look outside of Hollywood’s version of the birth of Christ and look to the real events, the events that call us to do something more than purchase and exchange gifts, or to hope against hope that the organizational ability of our governing authorities can maintain economic and military stability.
Martin Luther King Jr, in his last sermon the Sunday before his death spoke these words,
"Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make of it a brotherhood [and sisterhood]. We must all learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or we will all perish together as fools."
Hollywood treats us as fools, but Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters. Our hope for a peaceful world comes through the faith that demands each of us to be our brother’s/sister’s keeper. Therefore let us have a peaceful Christmas by building peace through faith with all people.
Rev Craig Mischewski, Townsville Central UC
Please remember these…
LENT EVENT – A GIFT FOR YOU!
You have recently received two big boxes of Lent Event resources – it is as if Christmas has come early! We hope that you do indeed see Lent Event as a gift to your congregation. It may seem a little overwhelming to receive all these resources for the first time. RELAX! It is quite simple really. Open this gift layer by layer!
· find an inspirational coordinator and start to spread the word. The Coordinator’s
Guide gives step-
· give each resource to the person in charge of the particular area – children’s Sunday School, youth ministry, Sunday School etc.
· have a look at the promotional materials including a DVD, posters and brochures.
· review the Worship Resources. Think about running a sermon series in parallel with
the adult Bible Study -
If you have any queries, please contact Lent Event on 1300 LENT EVENT or info@lentevent.com Lent Event gives to your congregation while your church gives to others. Happy Christmas!
Lent Event Resources
AND BOOKS FOR REVIEW!
Finding a way through the spiritual maze by Michael Green
Today everyone is looking for a spirituality. This new quest takes many forms. Some explore the ancient wisdom of Egyptian Pharaohs, or the secrets of the Stonehenge. Others get involved in Wicca or the New Age.
Knowing God the Father through the Old Testament by Christopher J.H. Wright
Calling God 'Father' in prayer is second nature to Christian believers. We learned it from Jesus, even though it was apparently surprising to his first disciples. It was not a common way of addressing God within the worshipping life of Old Testament Israel, though they certainly used fatherly images for understanding the character and actions of God.
Dead Women Walking -
She ran and ran until she saw dim lights lining a distant road. Full of hope she ran to them. As soon as her hand touched the door, the house disappeared into a field of weeds. She saw another road in the distance, but this one was lined with corpses, their long mangled hair trailing in the dirt. Shadowy spirits circled around the bodies. In fear she ran on.
Men surviving cancer: Australian men tell their inspiring stories by Barry Leigh (ed)
What Aussie men don’t talk about. Inspirational stories of thirteen men in their 20s and 30s and early 40s. Reveals their fears and feelings. One chapter written by Queensland Congress staff person Andy King
No eye has seen by Graham Carter
Novel – Christian mother of three loses her life under very unusual circumstances when her car is forces from the road in what appears to be a random act of road rage. What follows is a breathtaking story of adventure and excitement as Sarah explores the limitless wonder of her new home… Paradise. By a Queensland author.
Mardi Lumsden
SHORT COURSES FEBRUARY 2008
Code of Ethics and Ministry Practice – Thursday, 31st January 2008
This course is designed to give participants an introduction and understanding to the UCA’s. Code of Ethics. Cost: $40.00 per person.
Indigenous Life & Traditions – Monday, 4th – Thursday, 6th February 2008
This course offers an appreciation of some of the issues with which indigenous people deal and the responses being made. Brief consideration will also be given to indigenous theology. Leaders from the UAICC will be leading the course.
Cost: $100.00 per person.
The courses are day time courses and run from approximately 9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. Further information can be obtained by contacting Mrs Alice Foo at the college on ph: (07) 3377 9958, or emailalice.foo@ucaqld.com.au .
David Rankin, Principal, Trinity Theological College
ALEXANDRA PARK CONFERENCE CENTRE
Alexandra Park Conference Centre is a 250 bed conference and accommodation centre
situated on the Sunshine Coast serving over 220 groups each year. The Centre is operated
by the Uniting Church in Australia. Alexandra Park currently has the following vacancy:
Full Time Catering Manager. A full time Catering Manager is required to manage our
catering department, serving approx 15,000 clients per year with high quality meals.
This position includes both hands on cooking and administration, approx 15 -
Ian Edgar
Presbytery Calendar (including Bruce’s and Steve’s Diary)
December – 4th – Bruce to Brisbane for meetings re The John Flynn College.
5th – PLT – full meeting presbytery office.
7th -
9th – Farewell function for John & Karen Walker at Wulguru UC
10th – MRC meeting – presbytery office
11th – 13th – Steve to Brisbane YACMU
13th – Bruce to Brisbane for Placements
14th – 15th – Bruce in Cairns for Irinale Tadulala’s induction and meetings
19th – 23nd – Stable on the Strand
19th – 11th Jan – Jane on holidays
23rd Dec – 7th Jan. – Bruce & Margie to Brisbane (holidays)
-
25th – Christmas Day
January 2008 – 11th – 14th – Summer Madness Camp, Sunshine Coast
27th – Bruce to preach and lead Communion at MT Louisa House of Praise
February – 7th – PLT – face to face
11th – MRC – presbytery office
13th – 16th – Bruce to Brisbane for placements etc
23rd – Northern Zone meeting
March – 1st – Southern Zone meeting
4th – PLT Executive meeting – teleconference
10th – MRC meeting presbytery office
12th – 13th – Bruce to Brisbane for placement meeting etc
21st – Good Friday
23RD – Easter Sunday
24th – Easter Monday
April – 11th – Full PLT meeting – face to face in Cairns
14th – MRC meeting – presbytery office
16th – 17th – Bruce to Brisbane for Placements meeting etc
25th – Anzac Day
28th – 2nd May – National Lay Preachers Conference – NSW
May – 5th – Labour Day
6th – PLT Executive meeting – teleconference
12th – MRC Meeting – presbytery office
16th – 18th – Presbytery Meeting – Tropicana Lodge Cairns
19th – 22nd – Ministers Retreat – Mercy Centre Cairns