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Church ArmyAustralia |
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June 2008
Mining towns can have a tough
reputation – long shifts, big pay packets, far from family and
friends. Captains Stuart and Katherine Haynes have found another
side to Blackwater, a desire for God that lies just beneath the
surface. Located on Australia’s old route 66, 190km west of Rockhampton, Blackwater is the coal mining capital of Queensland. People come to Blackwater to make money. If they stay more than a year, many discover that their treasure lies elsewhere. “Once a person’s made $150,000 in a year,” Stuart observed, “they soon value what they can’t buy – their wife and kids, their friends and community.” Blackwater has been home to Stuart and Katherine since January 2008. The town has embraced them warmly because they’ve brought something to Blackwater – a desire to see the town develop its soul. “In a town where everything is temporary,” Stuart observed casually, “people are thirsty to do something with purpose.” April 2008
What does L’Abri, Iona, Taizé
and Kihilla have in common? They are all intentional Christian
communities where God’s word is heard, healing is found and learning
happens. Although Kihilla may not be in the same league, a strong commitment to community has taken root. ‘Community’ is a buzz word that’s regained currency, as a new generation yearns for a spiritual life beyond Sunday worship, one that’s integrated with work and connected with others. Kihilla finds itself in community by being dedicated to the kind of holistic local mission practiced by Jesus (Matt 4.23f). He combined proclamation, healing and teaching so that people experienced God’s Kingdom directly. “Too often these aspects get spun off as different ministries,” says Tim Scheuer, the National Director and interim Lawson leader, “but at Kihilla, we’re putting them back together.” November 2007
The enthusiasm of the Bishop of Wollongong, Al Stewart, for the initiative is palpable. “I think they are doing a wonderful job,” he said. “We are now looking at further opportunities in the Wollongong Region.” A second Local Mission Base will go ahead in a different Illawarra location depending on financial support. So far at Berkeley there have been three Saturday evening services. The current plan is to hold a worship service once a month, on top of the weekly neighbourhood door-to-door ministry, pub ministry and bible study. Around 70 attended the first two services and 110 the third. The number attending who were contacted through ‘Adopt-a-block’ has grown from 31 at the first meeting to 55. Read More... July 2007
March 2007
Christianity in the Illawarra’s poorest region was on the ropes when each mainstream church pulled out one by one. It was on the canvas when even the Pentecostals couldn’t sustain a congregation there. But Church Army’s radical new approach to mission is now helping win back Berkeley’s battlers block by block On Lake Illawarra, where a host of conventional worship meetings have failed, a new Church Army mission team are using the ‘adopt a block’ strategy to reach the non-churched community of Berkeley. “Berkeley had a great [Anglican] ministry for years, but it died
off,” says Church Army’s Wayne Pickford. “Everyone has written it
off, but we just need someone to get involved in the community.” There is already much to invite locals to, with wrestling events planned, as well as women’s events and a Wednesday night Alpha course. The new Berkeley mission base was launched on Sunday, February 18 with three pro-wrestling bouts. Read More... December 2006
News has just arrived that Church Army’s recent Mission trip to
Vanuatu was the starting Earlier this year, Captain Conrad Parsons was sent to lead a mission team to Vanuatu as part of an initiative of Church Army International. He teamed up with the Rev Henry Crowby from Port Vila, who attended the last CA Australia conference. Their task: to co-ordinate outreach to the large number of athletes gathered on the island of Ambae for a sporting carnival. Read more... October 2006
Maroubra’s Surfers Church has tied the knot with Church Army, after the Anglican Church’s South Sydney region gave their blessing and funding to a bold mission initiative last month. The Rev Steve Bligh will lead a Church Army Base of Evangelism (BOE) at Maroubra Beach, building on his existing Monday night ministry to the local surf community. Steve sums up Surfers Church in one word: ‘Rugged’. It’s everything most Anglican churches are not. Read more... July 2006
The Church Army officer who found himself at ground zero of the Beaconsfield mine disaster has revealed exclusively to Pioneer the hopelessness felt by mining experts during the first five days, and the extent of the miracle that followed. Read more... May 2006
Janice Thiele and Kelly Smith are preparing to jet off to Africa to spend six months of ministry training with Church Army in the Nairobi slums. But the long-term hope is to boost the Australian church’s mission capability. Janice and Kelly, and three other students from around Australia have signed up to Church Army’s pilot GLOBAL GAP year program for budding missional leaders. Read more... February 2006
This is how International Wrestling Australia bills its two-time Australian Champ, Wayne ‘Punisher’ Pickford.
Star of Foxtel’s 2002 Wrestling Supershow, wrestling fans recall his
brutal, blood thirsty ‘dog
Now this ‘bad guy with a bad attitude’ will use more than 30 years
perfecting body-slams and
December 2005 Last October I attended the Church Army
International Leaders conference in Nairobi. You may recall an issue
of Pioneer that featured details of the conference. The leader of
our daily bible Archives August 2005 February 2005 December 2004 September 2004 June 2004
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Church Army in Australia PO Box 12 Hazelbrook NSW 2779 Telephone 02 4759 1360 Fax 02 4759 1359 office@churcharmy.com.au |
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