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 - The new building at Cameron Park.
Fr David Battrick unpacks Bishop Brian's challenge and asks how we might be involved in this new missionary congregation in the Diocese.
The Diocese of Newcastle exists because of missionary congregations. There was a time when there were no churches in the regions which make up the Diocese, now there are many. Each of our parishes has its own story of beginning.
Some parishes can trace their histories back to the early colonial settlements, others can point to a time more recently when another parish made the decision to send some of its members to start a new congregation in an area where the population was growing.
Whenever our local church was established, it was begun by people who stepped out in faith, believing that it was important for an organised Anglican Christian presence to exist and grow in an area where there had not been one before.
We may not be familiar with the term "church planting" but we know what it describes, because as we look around the Diocese we can see the fruits of it in our many and varied parishes and congregations, which raises an important question for us.
If the Diocese grew to its present stature in response to the expansion of the population and the movement of people into new geographical areas in this region in the past, why isn't the Diocese continuing to grow and expand into the new housing areas which are being developed at the current time?
It is that question, and the stories of the fine tradition of church planting in this Diocese in the past, which has led in part to the vision for Cameron Park.
We are seeking to re-commit ourselves to the historical assumption of our forebears in this diocese, that where the people are, there should also be an expression of church which is welcoming, and relevant and life-giving.
At the current time there is no Anglican presence in Cameron Park. We believe that that situation needs to be corrected.
So what might a new church look like in Cameron Park? In truth we are not quite sure. We know that many people who have not been connected with the Church in the past will need the re-assurance of a radically and genuinely welcoming community in which they can belong long before they make a commitment to believe.
So we expect that this new church will be a place of real hospitality, in which people can feel free to question and explore in the knowledge that they will not be excluded if their thinking does not quite match ours.
We hope that this new church will really be good news for the people who live in the area which it serves.
In 2007 Bishop Brian accepted the first candidates for Ordained Local Ministry in Ministering Communities in Mission in the Diocese. The candidates are members of the Parish Ministry Teams at Stockton and Nelson Bay.
The Encounter asked some of them to introduce themselves.
Annette Bourquin
Candidate for the Priesthood, Parish of Nelson Bay
I was born in Zürich, Switzerland, and lived there until our family moved to the U.S.A. when I was eight years old. My English mother was a confirmed Anglican, my father's family were all Swiss Reformed. On my return to Switzerland at the age of fourteen, I attended the Anglican Church in Zürich, where I was confirmed, married and two of our children were baptised.
After school I trained as an orthoptist, diagnosing and treating certain eye disorders, mainly in children. Don and I have four children, Martin, Christine, Philipp and Yvonne, seven grandchildren and two “on the way”.
We moved to Australia in the 1970s and have experienced life in a number of parishes. In Nelson Bay I have been given the opportunity to deepen the Parish's teaching ministry, and also share in the preaching. My first degree was an Arts degree in German Literature, Philosophy and Biblical studies. My second degree was in Theology with a focus on Old Testament.
Last year the parish of Nelson Bay asked me to be willing to be discerned as a priest in local ministry. This invitation to serve the parish is exciting for me. At this stage of life I am free to serve, but still committed also to my life as wife and mother. The formation and practice of a priest in local ministry does not require re-location, and there is a ministry team of us supporting each other, sharing in our ministries. I thank God for this opportunity.
Karen Jansson
Candidate for Priesthood, Parish of Stockton
Hello, I'm Karen Jansson and I live in beautiful Stockton with my husband of 28 years and our 17 year old Elizabeth. Our eldest daughter, Rhiannon lives in Singleton with her husband David (no grandchildren as yet!)
I became a part of the local parish of St Paul's about 20 years ago after discovering there really was a God!
Being discerned by the parish to be a priest in local ministry was a big thing to say the least! You know how you feel that something is right but at the same time you're thinking “I can't do this". This is where I am at, and after completing the first year of study I must say I have experienced struggle and enjoyment and revelation! It has caused me to reflect on my faith and to widen the narrow view I had of the Bible and the Church. The Diploma course begins in April and I am thinking 'okay God, let's see where you are taking me!'
Elizabeth Vitalli-Ross
Candidate for the Distinctive Diaconate, Parish of Nelson Bay
My name is Elisabeth Vittali-Ross and I worship at All Saints at Nelson Bay. I am married to Ian, we have 2 sons Joe, 20, and Jack, nearly 12. I have lived and worked in Nelson Bay for over 24 years. I have been a member of All Saints since about 1999. I came back to the church after participating in the Alpha course and then attending a Cursillo weekend.
Our Church read and studied the Bishop's Vision in 2006. There followed a period of visioning and then a discernment process with study and the formation of ministry teams facilitated by Fr David Battrick - this involved a great deal of prayer and commitment from us all.
I have been discerned to be a candidate for the distinctive diaconate, a deacon in local ministry. I am excited about ministering to the wider community, supporting care and justice and encouraging other Christians to do the same on behalf of the Anglican Church.
Being part of this process means being educated, explorative, submissive and faithful. But what an experience it has been, what a joy to be part of the growing of the faithful and seeing our Church become a Ministering Community in Mission, in the Diocese of Newcastle!
Peter Anderson
Candidate for Priesthood, Parish of Stockton
My name is Peter Anderson and I reside with my wife of 40 years at Stockton and we worship at St Paul's. We have lived on Stockton for the last 30 years.
Over the past 15 years I have had a strong calling from God to do something but I did not know what. I sought help from several priests and close friends and prayed a lot to no avail. I still felt restless and had this endless calling. Last year I was discerned by my church family to be a candidate for the priesthood. At first I was absolutely shocked at this discernment, but after a lot of prayer and consultation with my parish priest and family I felt at ease with this decision and the restless feeling has been replaced with peace.
Shortly after this local discernment was made I was interviewed by Bishop Brian and was invited to attend a Vocation Discernment Weekend with his Examining Chaplains. I have just completed the first stage of my formation and was awarded the Bishop's Certificate in Theology for Ministry in December 2007. I am filled with excitement that I am now in the process of responding to and following God's calling.
Pauline Grabham
Candidate for Priesthood, Parish of Stockton
I was born in the small village of Upper Broughton, Nottinghamshire, England in 1944. Religious instruction and churchgoing were limited to occasional Sunday school attendances and the celebrations of Christmas and Easter.
In 1962, aged 18, I came to Australia on a two year working holiday, which continues to this day! It wasn't until I met my husband and his parents that I started to attend church on a regular basis and in October 1967 I was confirmed at St Philip's at Waratah. My faith waxed and waned until we moved to Stockton in 2003 and I became a regular worshipper at St Paul's.
My career included a five year position with NBN as a Children's Television presenter and a 25 year career in Shopping Centre Management/Property Development.
My journey of faith began in earnest during the W32 Cursillo weekend in October 2004. Returning home I felt a deep and unrelenting need, a yearning and craving to know more, hear more, learn more and do more of God's work.
It seemed that God's gentle calling on my life was becoming more insistent and I was recognising and understanding more every day that I should move forward in God's name. I was privileged to have been discerned by the congregation to be formed as a candidate for the priesthood and I am committed to following this through with further discernment and training.
Anne Lye
Candidate for Priesthood, Parish of Nelson Bay
I was born and educated in Maitland where I lived until my marriage in 1967. My husband Colin and I lived in Tamworth for three years and in Sydney for 31 years before retiring to Salamander Bay in 2001. After leaving school I studied accountancy and prior to retirement I was employed as a bookkeeper/clerk.
It was during our study at Nelson Bay in 2006 of Bishop Brian's books, A New Vision for our Church and Discerning Leadership that I became aware of a call to serve within and on behalf of the Church. I had not thought that my willingness to serve would lead me to be a candidate for the priesthood, however, after careful thought and prayer, I responded to the discernment of the parish and in January 2007 I chose to honour the calling of my local church and offer myself as a candidate for ordination.
I currently lead Mothers' Union, conduct Hymn and Prayer Services at local nursing homes and Holy Communion Services with hostel residents and the elderly and sick in homes. I look forward to commencing the Diploma Course in April and working in collaboration with the Ministry Team at All Saints’ to encourage the ministry of all members of the congregation as the Body of Christ.
Local discernment processes have now been completed in other parishes which have committed themselves to the vision of becoming Ministering Communities in Mission. The parishes of Charlestown, Lakes Anglican, Murrurundi, Singleton and Wingham have requested the Bishop to consider applicants for Ordained Local Ministry who have been discerned in these processes. These applicants will be invited to attend a Vocation Discernment Weekend in May 2008. Please pray for them and for the Bishop's Examining Chaplains as they seek to discern God's calling.
 - The new priests and bishops at ordination.
The Encounter reports on the Ordination to the Priesthood held in November 2007.
The Rev’ds Stewart Perry and Julian Kent were ordained to the priesthood in November, ensuring growth and energy for the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle.
Bishop Brian Farran said, "Ordinations are always an encouraging time for the Diocese and in particular, these two priests show great enthusiasm for growing the church and reaching the community.
"Their enthusiasm brings energy to the mission of the Diocese and I welcome them to the priesthood.”
The Rev’d Julian Kent travelled from England in 2007 to be ordained a Deacon in the Diocese of Newcastle.
He said, “Having been in Australia such a short time, I am still scared and excited, fearful and hopeful, but above all I come in humility, with prayer, and with love. I look forward to a happy and fruitful ministry here. I wanted to be a priest quite simply because I love God and I love God’s people I saw a way of putting those two great loves of my life together.”
The Rev’d Stewart Perry has lived in Sydney and the Hunter and has a background in Commercial Finance and Management.
He said, "I'm looking forward to encouraging others in their own ministries both within and outside the church. I've learned the foundation for any ministry in the church is service and it's important to retain this foundation as I move into the priesthood. I'm hoping to play a part in making the church relevant and effective in today's culture.”
Stewart and Julian have been working in Cooks Hill Parish and Forster-Tuncurry Parish, respectively, since February in order to develop necessary skills for their progression to the priesthood.
Fr Julian said, “I have learnt that I don't have all the answers and that sometimes a valid response is the honest one, ‘I don't know’. But it is also important to give time to an enquirer and to explore a possible answer together.”
The two were ordained after a silent retreat led by Bishop Gerald Beaumont from Melbourne. Stewart continues his ministry at the Parish of Cooks Hill whilst Julian commences a new ministry this month as the Assistant Priest at the Parish of Cessnock.
Geoff Bullock, founder of Hillsongs Music Australia and John "The Rev" Jensen, a mission practitioner with Forge Mission Training, will combine their talents to speak and present at a series of workshops in Newcastle and on the Central Coast in February.
Hosted by St John's Cooks Hill and Lakes Anglican in Gorokan on the Central Coast, the workshop series entitled, Train Ride with Jesus outreaches to people in the Diocese and community who wish to further their knowledge of the contemporary church.
Organiser, Greg Colby said, "This is a workshop that is not designed just for those who are in ordained ministry; in fact it is a call to ministry to those who have sensed that being members of the Church is about more than just turning up on Sunday".
Visit http://www.freewebs.com/<//link>
trainridewithjesus for more information on the workshop. The workshop, held during the day, at St John's Cooks Hill on February 21st, will conclude with an U2charist at 7pm.
Greg said, "A U2charist is a Eucharist service that features the music of the rock band U2 and a message about God's call to rally around the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. The U2charist at St John's will focus on the need for Christians to stand up and show solidarity with those living in poverty.”
For more details visit www.myspace.com/U2charistOz<//link> or phone Greg on 0417699765. The workshop will also be held at Lakes Anglican Parish on February 22nd at 6.30pm.
These events are an engaging way to connect with youth in the Diocese and those in the community who would not attend a traditional Eucharist.
A healing service which attracts people from a wide range of backgrounds is set to continue in 2008 according to Forster /Tuncurry’s Parish Priest, Fr Jeff Parker.
Fr Jeff explained that the monthly healing service which takes place at St Alban’s Anglican Church Forster is open to all, whether or not they are associated with the Anglican Church or any Church.
It’s been a wonderful ministry over the years, according to Fr Jeff, who has seen many healings take place.
“We don’t tell God what to do and we don’t demand immediate results. We talk about God’s word, ask for forgiveness, we pray and follow the biblical practice of anointing with holy oil and prayers for healing. After this, those who want to, share in the bread and wine of Holy Communion,” he siad.
“It’s not a long service but I have seen people go from utter despair when they first came along to being full of joy when they find healing.”
Fr Jeff believes the healing ministry is often misunderstood. “In this age of consumerism, we expect to be able to do something and get the results immediately. But the healing ministry is not like this,” he said.
“Unlike well known TV ministries this service is not a ‘show’. Instead, we leave the solution to God and commit ourselves into His care. And with God on our side how can we fail?”
The next two healing services are to take place on February 21 and March 13 at 5pm. at St Alban’s, Forster. For information call Fr Jeff on 6554 8351.
The Rev'd Michael Armstrong reviews the controversial film, The Golden Compass.
I had the opportunity to watch The Golden Compass recently. This is a film based upon Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials. It has received a lot of media attention, especially in the USA and over the internet, about being "anti-Christian". The author has stated that he wrote these books in response to The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis to give children a vision of a world without God.
So, like Narnia, the book and the film take us into a world of fantasy. The story follows Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a world which is dominated by the dictatorship of the Magisterium which threatens to take away even more freedom. When Lyra's friend is kidnapped, she travels to the far North in an attempt to rescue him and rejoin her uncle. Lyra is given an Alethiometer (the compass) which enables her to discern the truth.
Both in the book and the movie you could certainly read that the Church is associated with the Magisterium. This has caused offence to some Christians. However, I want to suggest that really what is being attacked is the abuse of power. The Magisterium could be any government or body that abuses power.
Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" (John 18: 38). The truth is that contemporary film and comments from outside the Church about the way that we have behaved, and continue to behave, are essential to focus us and call us to account for our actions and the way we behave. Films like this raise valid points and are worthy of our community watching them and thinking more deeply about how the world sees the Church, and most importantly, how God is perceived.
Instead of expending huge amounts of energy on protesting about people watching films like this, The Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter, it would be far more fruitful for those of us within the Church to encounter these stories, and wrestle with them and what they are saying about our world. It is only when we engage with the world that we are able point out where God is, especially when so many seem to feel God is absent.
I therefore encourage you to go along to this film. maybe go as a group and afterwards have a cuppa and talk about some of its themes. Think about where God is in the film. I wondered if Lyra was not in fact a Christ figure in this story?
Lastly, a word of caution. This is definitely not a film for small children. It does contain some quite graphic violence, as well as some occasional horror. There are scenes that are quite scary. It has been rated PG as the violence is deemed as "fantasy". However, I'd encourage any discerning parent or grandparent to think carefully before taking young children. I give it 2.5 stars.
The Rev’d Michael Armstrong
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