The Vine February 2013 - York St Church of Christ

February 2013
Helping people meet Jesus, become like Him and be equipped to impact the local and global community
Coming in February
Official Opening of the Yorkie Play Centre
Induction of Ben Dainton as Youth Pastor
Careforce Lifekeys
and much more...

A word from our Senior Pastor
Hi, and welcome to the February edition of The Vine, our
monthly church magazine. We trust that you have a great
time with us as we worship our awesome God together.
Here at York Street we are a large regional church that is ALL
ABOUT LIFE.
This month there are many things happening in the life of the
church so please take the time to read through The Vine and
if you have any questions or comments then don’t hesitate to
contact our church office on office@yorkst.com.au or check
out our web page www.yorkst.com.au or Facebook Page
http://facebook.com/yorkstcofc for more information.
Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)
33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
On Sunday 6th January, the first Sunday of the
year, I preached a message about not worrying
and encouraged people to seek God first in all that
we do in 2013. (If you missed the message then
download it from our webpage or iTunes). As many
of our ministries within the church commence for
2013 I want to remind us all that we are all about
Jesus.
As a church we are about LIFE, helping people
meet Jesus, become like him and impact the world.
If we are to continue to do this then the focus must
be on Jesus and not upon ourselves. We must
seek God first in all that we do. So let us all not only
remember but apply these words from Hebrews
12:1-2 (NIV) 1 … let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let
us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith...
Launching 2013
On Sunday February 3rd we will commission our
Pastoral Care team led by Heather Gordon and
Rob Petty. The Pastoral Care team has already
been working hard visiting the shut ins, connecting
with people who haven’t been at church for a while
or who are sick, doing hospital visitations as well
as running a number of church and communion
services at nursing homes around Ballarat. This is
the outworking of 1 Corinthians 12 as people play
their part by being the hands, feet and mouth of
Jesus.
Also as part of the launching of 2013 we will
officially open the Yorkie Play Centre as well as hear
about some of the exciting things planned for 2013.
Please mark February 3rd in your diary as this is a
Sunday you won’t want to miss.
2.

Staff Changes in 2013
It is with sadness that we announced in January
that Angela Oliver has resigned from her role
in Music and Creative
Ministries. Angela is due
to give birth around April/
May and will conclude her
ministry with us at the end
of March. As a church we
celebrate with Leigh and
Angela and pray for them.
Personally I want to thank Angela for being a key
part of the ministry team and for the impact she has
had upon the music ministry. I ask that you join us
in praying for a new person to take on the role (see
advertisement in The Vine).
We also welcome Ben Dainton to the role of Youth
Engagements
Congratulations to
Car Parking
“May we all continue to seek
God in all that we do as He
leads and guides us...”
Pastor. Ben is continuing in his theological studies
and will work with us at the church for two days a
week overseeing our youth ministry. Blake Moore
will continue to work with Ben but will be stepping
back from youth ministry
to focus upon being the
Associate Pastor, taking
on more responsibility
and overseeing Careforce
Lifekeys and Small Groups.
May we all continue to
seek God in all we do as He leads and guides us as
many of the ministries of the Church recommence
for 2013.
Blessings
Tim Clark
Senior Pastor
Chantelle Ten Hoopen and Luke Cutler
and
Charlie Harrison (Colette and Greg’s Daughter) and Andrew Parker
who became engaged last month.
Thank you to those who are parking in the
main car park at the rear of the church. If
you are a regular attendee to the church
then we have been asking that you park
in the Main Car Park at the rear of the
church. The entrance to the car park
is off Joseph Street. This allows anyone
who is new to the church to be able to
park in the front car park off York Street.
A gentle reminder for everyone using the
church building, please use our church
car park at all times, and if both the main
car park at the rear of the church and
the front car park are full then please fill
the car parks on the church side of York
Street before parking on the neighbours’
side. Where possible please avoid parking
on the neighbours’ side of York Street.
3.

What is happening on Sundays?
February
Sunday 3rd February
THEME: Launch the Year 2013
SPEAKER: Tim Clark
BIBLE READING: Matthew 11:25-30
Official opening of the Yorkie Play Centre
and commissioning of the Pastoral Care
Team
Sunday 10th February
THEME: Baggage of Fear and Anxiety
SPEAKER: Blake Moore
BIBLE READING: Philippians 4:4-9
6pm - Youth Take Over Service and
commissioning of Ben Dainton as Youth
Pastor!
If you are on twitter you can follow the church at
YorkStChurch. We will endeavour to keep you up
to date with what’s happening at the church as well
as with other information, photos, comments and
quotes.
Sunday 17th February
THEME: Baggage of Bitterness and Anger
SPEAKER: Tim Clark
BIBLE READING: Ephesians 4:17-32
Sunday 24th February
THEME: Baggage of Guilt and Choices
SPEAKER: Tim Clark
BIBLE READING: John 16:5-16
Sunday February
3rd we will see the
commissioning of our
York Street Church of
Christ Pastoral Care Team
consisting of the Visitor Team and coordinator as
well as our church service Welcomer Team leaders
for 2013. These fellow congregation members are
involved in the care, follow up and assistance to our
congregation members and guests. We thank God
for these committed people of faith in action.
4.
York Street Church of Christ has a new
Facebook page. We have been using the York
Street Church of Christ Group Page (which we
will be removing soon) but are transitioning to
York Street Church of Christ Facebook. We will
endeavour to keep you up to date with what’s
happening at the church as well as include other
information, photos, comments and quotes. So
please go to the link and like…
http://facebook.com/yorkstcofc

A message from the new Youth Pastor
Switch Youth! What an honour
it is to be your Youth Pastor this
year.
I’m excited as I look forward to seeing God do
some amazing things throughout the next 12
months, as his Holy Spirit moves and as we come
to know Christ in a deeper way.
Firstly, I want to thank Tim and Blake for the strong
impact and encouragement they have given me
over the past 2 years of working here. It has been a
blessing to be treated as part of the team from day
one, and I am humbled by this responsibility I have
been given.
I pray this year will see the Youth Ministry continue
to grow, not just in numbers, but in spiritual
growth, lives changed, with more and more of the
youth coming to know Christ on a personal level!
Top 10 Questions with Aimee Heyhorn
1. What is your favourite food?
Prawns
2. What is your favourite TV show or movie?
The people who have seen my dvd collection
will understand that I don’t just have one
favourite.
3. Who is in your family?
Ross (dad), Robyn (mum), Ashley (older
brother) and Adam (younger brother)
4. Which church service do you attend?
6pm
5. How long have you been involved at York
Street?
Since the start of February last year
6. What is your favourite Bible verse?
Hebrews 11:1 “To have faith is to be sure of
things we hope for, to be certain of the things
we cannot see.” I love the way that it
describes faith. It acts as a reminder of how
my faith should be; sure and certain.
7. What do you do for leisure or what are
your hobbies?
Reading, walking with my dog, watching
movies
This year is going to be jam packed with heaps of
fun throughout each term, as well as times for us
to come together, worship and talk about what it
means for us as youth (I’m still one at heart) to live
for Christ in all our lives.
Some of these big events include: The Eastern
Beach Trip on 2nd February, State Youth Games
Launch Party on March 15th, State Youth Games
7th-10th June and our annual
Youth Camp happening
November 15th – 17th down at
Anglesea!!
So all youth from Year 6-12 get
along to Switch Youth 2013, I’m
hoping it may just change your
life!
Ben
8. If you could change one thing in the world
what would you change?
That there would be no mosquitoes
9. Who is your favourite Bible character, and
why?
Rahab. She is a great example of someone
who has complete faith in God.
10. What do you like the most about York
Street?
I like how welcoming the ministry team and
congregation are. You can really see that York
Street is very much like one big family.
5.

February for Families
3rd February
“Who is God?” Where did God come from?
Psalm 90:1-2, Exodus 3:1-14
10th February
“Who is God?” Who made you and why?
Psalm 139:13-14, 1 Cor 1:9, Rev 21:3
February 3rd is the kick off date for the 2013 Yorkie
Kids program AND the GRAND OPENING of the
17th February
“Who is God?” How did God make the world?
Genesis 1 – 2:1, Isaiah 45:18
24th February
“Who is God?” Is there only one God?
Mark 1:10-11, Isaiah 9:6
6.
Following the official opening in the main service,
we welcome all primary school age kids to join us in
the new meeting rooms, Rooms 1 & 2, beside the
Yorkie Play Centre. The preschool children will meet
in the Kinder rooms under the leadership of Meg
Bond and the Creche will continue to operate in the
Creche room with Desley Hopkins.
Please note that a Yorkie Kids information desk is
set up in the foyer for all those new to York Street.
Yorkie Kids leaders will be available at the desk to
assist and guide all newcomers and visitors.
During the term the Yorkie Kids will be exploring
some of the BIG questions of life beginning with,
“Who is God?”
Memory Verse:
“Lord, from the very beginning
you have been like a home to us.
Before you created the world and
the mountains were made,
from the beginning to the end you
are God.”
Psalm 90: 1 – 2 (NIRV)
DATES TO REMEMBER:
February 3
Official Yorkie Play Centre Opening!
2013 Kids’ Church begins
March 3
Family Picnic
March 24
End of term for Kids’ Church
March 29
Good Friday
March 31
Easter Sunday

Yorkie Play Centre
MOPS
*NEWS***NEWS***NEWS***NEWS*
Yes it’s true... January can be a bit quiet in Ballarat!
With lots of people away on holidays or just kicking
back, keeping cool and taking things a bit more
slowly.
However, not so here at Yorkie on Wednesdays...
During January parents and grandparents, aunts
and uncles have taken the opportunity to bring the
kids along for a play in the new Yorkie Play Centre.
Word is spreading and each week has been busier
than the one before with adults able to relax, have
a coffee and a chat whilst the children play safely.
What a great opportunity to connect with people!
And that is exactly what the Play Centre is all about,
people!
Our Play Centre is a tool for us to use to help
people meet Jesus, become like him and be
equipped to impact the local and global community.
We want to use the Play Centre to not only support
our existing ministries to families, such as MOPS,
Mainly Music, the work at Canadian Lead Primary
School and our own Kinder, but to develop new
ways of reaching out to our community with the
love of Jesus. We want to see people connecting
with each other, with the church (us) and, most of
all, with Christ. What a privilege we have... and a
responsibility!
Over the next few months we will be experimenting
and implementing different ways we can use the
Yorkie Play Centre for the Kingdom! We welcome
your suggestions/new ideas. Please speak to or
email Colette at Harrison.Colette@yorkst.com.au.
And a BIG THANK YOU to Alan Pegg, and to
Maree, for volunteering your time so the Play Centre
could be open all day on Wednesdays.
This year at MOPS we are diving into a new theme
called “PLUNGE” focused on 1 Peter 4:8-11 “Most
of all, love each other as if your life depended on it.
Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick
to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless
– cheerfully. Be generous with the different things
God gave you, passing them around so all get in
on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be
God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence
will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll
get all the credit as the One mighty in everything –
encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!” (The Message)
The emphasis is on relationships and hope
and as a MOPS team we aim to provide an
atmosphere where all areas of relationships can be
strengthened. We hope to provide MOPS mums
with encouragement, knowledge and confidence in
their mothering journey and to realise that the most
important relationship they can know is with Jesus
Christ.
We have some amazing topics and events planned
for this year based on our PLUNGE theme which
we hope will cover the emotional, physical and
spiritual needs of each mum and it is our privilege to
serve God in this way. We have an amazing group
of Christian mums on team who are already doing
an incredible job to make this year at MOPS one to
remember.
As a church please be praying for our team and our
mentors as we put together our program this year.
Pray for our carers who volunteer their time each
fortnight and pray that the MOPS ministry here at
York Street continues to work in the lives of all the
mothers of pre-schoolers we encounter.
Thank you for your support,
Jenny Fulcher
7.

Top 10 Questions with Colette Harrison
“but those who hope in
the LORD will renew their
strength. They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they
will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
8.
1. What is your favourite food?
Freshly baked bread, oh and cheese... Yum!
2. What is your favourite TV show or movie?
Just saw Les Misérables, was my favourite
musical and is now my favourite movie!
3. Who is in your family?
My handsome husband Greg, two unique
and awesome children Ben (25), Charlotte
(23), my lovely Mum, Pip (of undisclosed age)
and, in 2013, a son-in-law, Andrew!
4. Which church service do you attend?
8.45am and 10.30am
5. How long have you been involved at York
Street?
Since August 2012 [Colette moved from
Melbourne and began working as our
Children’s Pastor at this time.]
6. What is your favourite Bible verse?
So many favourites... so difficult to choose
but I particularly love Isaiah 40:31
“but those who hope in the LORD will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they
will walk and not be faint.”
7. What do you do for leisure or what are
your hobbies?
I love being active and enjoying God’s beautiful
creation... and sharing a good coffee of
course!
8. If you could change one thing in the world
what would you change?
It’s a rather big one... that all people would
hear, know and respond to the love of God
demonstrated on the cross!
9. Who is your favourite Bible character, and
why?
Have to say I love Peter! A spontaneous,
outspoken, optimistic, self-reliant, hotheaded,
impetuous, tactless at times,
cowardly, boofhead!!! How often does God
chose the most unlikely of people (like you
and me) to enter into a unique personal
relationship with him and to further his
purposes! I love how God transformed his
weakness into strength, through the work of
the Holy Spirit...Wow!
10. What do you like the most about York
Street?
The people of course... oh and Polly’s coffee!
Kids Hope Training
Wednesday 6th February
At Canadian Lead Primary School
Otway Street South
9:10 am (9:20 start) – finish by 3pm
BYO Lunch, Morning tea provided
Contact Chris Barlow for further
details

MUSIC ALL IN
All musicians, vocalists,
tech/data/sound people
– PLEASE ATTEND! We
are having an ALL IN
Sunday 3 Feb 1-4pm
where all people who
are involved in music
ministry gather together
as we look to the new
year!
There will be a BBQ
lunch after the 10.30am
service. You are
welcome to join us for
the BBQ before the
ALL IN.
Position Vacant
York Street Church of Christ
Music & Creative Ministries
2 days per week
A detailed job and person specification is available from the Church Office
office@yorkst.com.au or ph: 03 5331 1079
Applications close 5pm Monday 4 th March, 2013
Please send applications to:
Tim Clark, Senior Pastor
410 York St, Ballarat, Vic, 3350
office@yorkst.com.au
Careforce Lifekeys - Term 1, 2013 - Courses
Search For Life
Tuesdays - 5 February-9 April
7:30pm-10pm
Cost $50 which includes all course material and tea/coffee
Everyone needs to understand the power of our internal cry for acceptance, value and belonging.
Everyone needs to understand the cause of our most basic struggles and find a solution to them. Without
insight and answers to the human dilemma individuals resort to inadequate and destructive patterns of
behaviour to address feelings of low self esteem, inadequacy, emptiness and insecurity. This program
identifies the cause of so many human tensions and introduces participants to the healing power of truth in
a caring and safe environment.
Previous Participants’ Feedback
‘I’ve been a Christian for four years but feel only now through this course do I actually understand the Good
News.”
“I finally understand why I act the way I do!”
“A real eye opener! The re-awakening of the Holy Spirit’s power in my life.”
“Great! And to unchurched people it would come across as: Pastor, you’re real and not false, I can stay
and listen without feeling Bible-bashed, but not only that, I can see how much Jesus cares.”
Applications are now available at the information desk and close on Sunday 27 January, 2013. Please
speak to Blake Moore for further information.
9.

Compassion in Times of Crisis
CHEPSTOWE CARNGHAM
BUSH FIRE UPDATE
During the days of 8 January to
15 January 2013, the Ballarat
Victorian Council of Churches
(VCC) Emergencies Ministry
Ballarat Area Team has been
involved in Personal Support
activities within our communities
in response to the Chepstowe
Carngham Bush Fire.
Members of the Ballarat team were deployed at
short notice on Tuesday evening 8 January to
provide Personal Support activities on behalf of the
Ballarat City Council/Pyrenees Shire at the Ballarat
Relief Centre for bush fire evacuees. Wednesday
saw two team members dispatched to Beaufort to
assist with Pyrenees Shire Recovery Teams whilst
another team of two attended the CFA Public
Meeting at Snake Valley Hall to provide Personal
Support to bush fire victims and residents.
Wednesday evening we were asked by the
Department of Human Services (DHS) Emergency
Management Coordinator Grampians Region to
provide two Personal Support workers per day
for at least three days to man the Snake Valley
Temporary Recovery Office and to provide personal
support to residents attending the office as part of
the assistance provided by the Pyrenees Shire and
DHS. We had team members at Snake Valley until
completion of this tasking on Tuesday 15 January
2013.
VCC Emergencies Ministry (VCC EM) Ballarat Team
has received feedback from the DHS Grampians
Emergency Manager that he was very impressed
with the efforts, performance and quality of the
people in the VCC EM Ballarat team over the past
days of service in the Relief Centre and Recovery
functions. The Victorian State Manager for VCC EM
has also offered his congratulations to the team.
These comments have been passed on to the VCC
EM Ballarat team members.
What’s next? Well, WE NEED YOU! To join us in this
ministry of being the Master’s hands and feet in the
Emergency Space to assist our communities when
they are involved in an emergency.
COME AND JOIN US!
We are conducting VCC EM Personal Support
Accreditation Training here at York St Church of
Christ as follows:
Dates: Friday 15 February &
Saturday 16 February 2013
Time:
9.30am to 4.30pm
Contact: Rob Petty on 0407 891 281
or the York St Church Office 5331 1079.
The aim of Personal Support is to make contact with affected individuals and communities and to provide
information, reconnect affected persons with social supports, and support the emotional, psychological
and spiritual recovery of those affected.
Eureka Men’s Ministry
10.
COME ON MATE!
WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER
Coming Soon
Fathered by God Series
Learning, Friendship, Fun, Food
See Rob Petty 0407 891 281

Kindgom Assignment Update
When I was entrusted with God’s $100 I considered
what my sphere of influence is. As I had started a
new job in Colac in 2012, my thoughts turned to
what was possible
there. Trinity College
Colac is a co-ed
Catholic secondary
college with a low
comparative socioeconomic
rating.
There is a very strong
Social Justice group
operating in the
school and they hold regular fund-raising activities.
In May, the Social Justice group was encouraging
college support for the Live Below The Line Appeal.
After prayerful consideration I spoke with
the Social Justice Coordinator, the Director
of Faith and Mission and the leader of the
Student Representative Council and explained
the Kingdom Assignment. They were very
overwhelmed when I explained that $100
of God’s money would be donated to assist
the cause, provided that the money grew
and the message of God’s love was spread.
The students on the SRC and Social Justice
committees knew why the $100 was donated.
On the Live Below The Line Day at school,
the 760 students came dressed in OP Shop
clothes. Soup with a bread roll was the only
food sold from the canteen at both recess and
lunch times. This was so that the students
would understand that millions of people have
a lack of choice and often go through their
lives hungry.
We wrote a letter to the provider of the soup
powder, explaining that $100 was being
donated to pay for the soup powder, so that
the sales of the soup would be clear profit to
be donated to the rural Papua New Guinea
village of Yangis. This community was then
able to re-open their primary school and
build a secondary school for children. It is
well known that educating the females in
developing countries contributes significantly
to the breaking of the cycle of poverty.
The food company added to the cause by
donating additional soup powder to be used on and
beyond the Live Below The Line Day.
Sales of the soup contributed to raising $1,500
on the day and left
over soup powder
continued to be
made up and sold
at the canteen for
several months and
donated back into
the Social Justice
funds.
They were very overwhelmed when I
explained that $100 of God’s money
would be donated to assist the cause,
provided that the money grew and the
message of God’s love was spread.
It is difficult to give an exact figure for how much the
$100 was increased by, but it was at least four-fold.
Regards, Fiona Bell
11.

What’s Happening
Pre-Schoolers
Children
Yorkie Kids operates during our
10.30am service during school
terms.
Please see page 6 for more
information about topics for
February.
The first MOPS session for 2013
will be held on Wednesday 13th
February from 9.15am-11.30am.
Cost is $5 each session (less for
health care card holders) and the
first time is free.
Youth
New mums are always welcome!
Mainly Music is on Thursday
mornings during school terms
from 10.30am-11.30am.
There are information brochures
available on the information desk.
Alternatively you can speak to
Brenda, Alisa, Kirsty or Colette
for more information.
If you are interested in becoming
involved in this ministry please
speak to Brenda Peralta or
contact Colette at the church
office.
12.
WILDSIDE & DETOUR
Saturday 2nd February
Eastern Beach
Cost $20 for transport and food
RSVP essential
Friday 15th February
Brown Hill Pool
Cost $5
4pm-8pm
YEAR 7 & 8 GIRLS
More details coming soon...
YEAR 9 & 10 GIRLS
More details coming soon...
LADS SUNDAY ARVO GROUP
(Grade 6 - Year 10 Lads)
Sundays 10th & 24th February
4pm @ Yorkie
Cost $3 (includes tea)
VCE GROUP
23 Manneville Street, Wendouree
More details to come...

Music
What’s Happening
Young Adults Prime Time (age 55+)
Musicians
More details coming soon...
Prayer
Join us on Monday 25th
February for our monthly night
of prayer and worship starting at
7.30pm.
Once again there will be two
ways of praying on the night.
There will be an opportunity to
“Be Still” and pray in quiet space
with others, and there will be an
opportunity to sing praises to
God in worship and prayer.
This will be an awesome night of
drawing near to God. Plan today
to be there.
Prime Timers will enjoy a meal
at York Street Church of Christ
on Tuesday 26th February. The
lunch will begin at 12.30pm.
Please bring a salad to share.
All welcome.
Handicrafts
ART AND CRAFT COMPANY
Art and Craft Company are a
group of craft-loving people who
meet for a day of fun, fellowship
and craft each Friday at the
church from 10am until 2pm.
Please see Jan or Harold Howlett
for more information.
Men
Musicians - please
note!
If you are unable to fulfil your role
on the roster please contact the
person leading that day. Any
changes to the roster will be
updated online and can be found
on the website.
WEDNESDAY:
• 7pm -
SUNDAY:
• 8am -
• 4pm -
REHEARSAL FOR
THE 10:30 SERVICE*
REHEARSAL FOR
THE 8:45 SERVICE*
REHEARSAL FOR
THE 6pm SERVICE
(*EXCEPT VAL’S TEAMS
WHO REHEARSE ON THE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT
8.30PM)
MMMA
More Mature Monday Afternoons
(MMMA) will be held @ Yorkie
from 1.30pm to 2.45pm during
February as follows:
Monday 4th February
Games afternoon - Scrabble,
Word Bluff
Monday 18th February
Prayer
Bible Study (John 9 - A blind
beggar)
Coming Soon
Fathered by God Series
Learning, Friendship, Fun, Food
See Rob Petty 0407 891 281
MUSIC ALL IN
All musicians, vocalists, tech/
data/sound people – PLEASE
ATTEND! We are having an ALL
IN Sunday 3 Feb 1-4pm where
all people who are involved in
music ministry gather together as
we look to the new year!
There will be a BBQ lunch after
the 10.30am service. You are
welcome to join us for the BBQ
before the ALL IN.
13.

February 2012
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
3
Launch the Year
Official opening of the
Yorkie Play Centre
Commissioning of the
Pastoral Care Team
Music All In
4
MMMA
5
Careforce Lifekeys
6
Worship Practice
10
11
12
13
Baggage of Fear and
Anxiety
Lads’ Sunday Arvo Group
Youth Takeover Service
@ 6pm
Elders’ Meeting
Careforce Lifekeys
OFFICE CLOSED
MOPS
Worship Practice
17
18
19
20
Baggage of Bitterness
and Anger
MMMA
Kirralee Church Service
Worship Practice
Food Sunday
Careforce Lifekeys
24
25
26
27
Baggage of Guilt and
Choices
Prayer and Worship Night
Prime Time Lunch
MOPS
Lads’ Sunday Arvo Group
Elders’ Meeting
Careforce Lifekeys
Worship Practice
14.
DIRECT DEBIT FORMS AND OFFERING ENVELOPES AVAILABLE
To assist you in your tithing and giving to the work of the Kingdom we have direct debit
available along with new financial year offering envelopes. As a church we encourage you to
consider using either of these resources to assist you in your tithing. A brochure is available
at the information desk explaining how to use the direct debit option. The offering envelopes
are also available on the information desk in the church foyer.

Thursday Friday Saturday
5 16
72
7
Mainly Music
14
Mainly Music
21
Mainly Music
28
Mainly Music
Art & Craft Group
8
Art & Craft Group
15
Art & Craft Group
Emergencies Ministry
Training
Switch Youth @ Brown
Hill Pool
22
Art & Craft Group
Switch Youth @ Eastern
Beach
12 9
13 16
Emergencies Ministry
Training
14 23
19
Need More
Info?
Resource Desk/
Information Boards
Located at the back of
the auditorium you will
find extra information
about many of the
upcoming events.
www.yorkst.com.au
Our website is your
online resource for up
to date information.
Contact us
Call the office on 5331
1079 between 9am-
3pm or email us at
office@yorkst.com.au
for more information.
Regular Service
Times
Traditional Service @
8.45am
Family Service
(including Yorkie Kids)
@ 10.30am
Worship Service @
6pm
FOOD SUNDAY
will be held Sunday 17th February
Donations of non-perishable food items are gratefully
received.
Just drop them into the shopping trolley in the foyer.
15.

Missions
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end
of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Welcome to World Missions! God has a part for you to play in His mission to spread
the hope of the Gospel and help build His Church world-wide. When you share the
hope of the Gospel, when you pray, provide financial support, encourage through
correspondence or provision, or work to plant churches, you are playing your part in
world mission and the great commission.
ANDY & RACHEL - INDIA
Happy New Year! We just thought we would write
to you now that we are at the 6 month mark of
our time in India to let you know how we are going
and what we have encountered in our time here.
Our first month was full on as we adapted to the
change, the culture and the monsoon. At the same
time we felt wonderfully welcomed by Woodstock
and they really helped to make our transition a
lot smoother. Dealing with tummy bugs and the
monsoon mold at the same time was definitely a
challenge.
nineteen consists of four Christians (one Catholic),
two Buddhists, three Sikhs, nine Hindus and one
16.
Working at Woodstock has been great. I simply
cannot relate to you enough about what an
amazing ministry opportunity we have here. I know
that in our mission statement we outlined what
we would be doing here at the school, but our
expectations have been surpassed! My class of

agnostic. Many of these kids come from highly
influential families from all over India and other parts
of Asia. I get to share the bible with them every
day! On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I teach
them Religious Education and this is very much
Christian based. Over the last semester I have been
able to share with them how God has made each
one of us and given us gifts and talents that we can
use for His glory and more recently how the bible
reveals to us God’s plan for humanity. Awesome
stuff! The best part is that they are super receptive.
A few in particular have had their hearts prompted
and softened by God.
Rach will be teaching Grade 6 R.E. next
semester which is a huge blessing and another
wonderful ministry opportunity. She has also
been coordinating and supervising Woodstock’s
Samvedna Program which is a disability project
that Nathan helped to set up in the area. It involves
Rach taking students out to poor villages and
helping disabled kids with activities, occupational
therapy and games. The students are from
both Christian and non-Christian homes and for
many it is their first hands-on experience of both
poverty and disability. It is a real faith in action
program and it is all based on the compassion
and empathy of Jesus. After each session the
students reflect on their time and study a bible
passage to help them understand how God loves
ALL people and why he requires us to look after
these precious people. Rach has also made some
great relationships with other “hillside mums” (all her
MOPS experience coming in very handy!) and has
had some great conversations with some who are
really seeking. Please pray that these relationships
will be strengthened and that these ladies will be
responsive to the Good News that Rach shares
with them.
As you may recall the other aspect to our ministry
is linking up with small Christian schools in the
Himalayan foothills and providing teaching training
and support for them. These Christian schools are
attractive to many families because they provide
an “English Medium” education. This means that
even some of the most staunchly Hindu parents are
willing to send their kids to these schools that are
the only Christian witness in these communities.
Two weeks ago we were able to meet up with
one of these schools in a place called Uttarkashi
to scope out needs and assess what we might
be able to contribute. The result: a definite
opportunity to do some teacher training next year!
We also met up with a principal, Brother Francis
of Sparsh Academy, who has undergone a lot of
persecution from elements of the community that
he is witnessing to. He is also very keen for us to
do some work with his staff, although he is mindful
of further persecution if it is seen that the white
Christians have come out to help “Christianise” the
students. Pray for Francis and his ministry.
There are a few more ministry opportunities that we
hope to get involved with in the New Year, including
a Compassion project in Dehradun (capital city of
our state, about an hour away) that provides food,
after school care and tuition for slum kids. It would
be great if some Yorkie people could get involved
in sponsoring more of these kids from this slum
through Compassion!
As a family we are travelling along really well. We
have been so blessed to have had visits from TJ
(Tamara Jolly) and Mel Hill over the last month!
Mel has been awesome – such a great babysitter
and the kids (especially Levi) adore her. Josh and
Samuel are both enjoying school, Samuel especially
because he has a lot of other boys in his class with
whom he has become great mates. Joshy only has
two other boys in his class and they are not really
kindred spirits which is hard for him. We are praying
for some more boys of like mind to join his class
next year. Levi just continues on his merry way and
is the biggest celebrity in the school.
We have enjoyed reading “The Vine” and it is great
to see the playground up and in use! The boys will
definitely enjoy playing on it when we come back
for Christmas this time next year. Wishing you all
a (belated) Merry Christmas and a wonderful New
Year filled with God’s grace and favour. Stay in
touch!
Love from,
The Francis Family.
17.

MEL HILL
I have just returned from my adventures to lndia and Thailand. What an absolute
blessing it was to spend 5 weeks with Andy, Rachel and their family. They both
definitely made my experiences so much easier and more encouraging. They have
also inspired me so much for future mission trips (longer term ones potentially).
So my time away was different from what I had
expected. My plan was to head over to lndia and
be able to use my nursing skills in some practical
ways; but never having been in a developing
country or on a short term mission trip before
I didn’t really know what to expect. lndia was
crazy. There were people everywhere. It was dirty
and there were absolutely NO road rules! Luckily
first impressions are not always fully true. Once
I met Andy at the airport and we headed up to
Mussoorie my feelings for the country began to
change. I began to absolutely love it and really
began to have a heart for my brothers and sisters
there. We headed out to Uttakashi (a village about
5 hours drive away) and spent some time at the
HIM Christian Academy. We were even honoured
guests at their Christmas celebration concert. This
was such an amazing experience. Being able to
capture the dream for these children, to watch
them learn and dance and share the good news of
Jesus was so beautiful!
I spent some time checking out the local hospital
in Mussoorie (LCH) too. The thing that struck me
most about this hospital was their incredible love for
God and how they used that in their care. They held
a worship service at the beginning of the day, then
went around and sung to the patients, then prayed
for them. This is amazing! My best experience of
a hospital yet! This is something that would never
happen in a hospital in Melbourne (where I will
be working this year) and something that l found
incredibly powerful and special! I can’t wait to one
day be part of a place that nurses like this!
I was also able to head out to a few villages to
spend time with a local Sampan health worker and
with an O.T. (Melinda). These were both incredible
experiences. This was the place that broke my
heart. Seeing these families in so much need and
hearing their incredible stories then having to just
walk away because there was nothing that I could
do then and there. It’s also so amazing to see their
incredible generosity, they have so little yet they give
so much!
I changed my flights at the last minute and headed
to Thailand to help out with the kids’ program at
the Pioneers conference. This was an incredible
blessing to me. I was able to meet some amazing
people, such servant hearts and so ready and
willing to give it all for God! So inspiring and
encouraging! I was overwhelmingly blessed
by being able to serve and love these beautiful
children! These friends will remain in my prayers
and one day (soon I hope) I will be able to visit them
again, to encourage and support them. I was able
to spend some time just relaxing and soaking up
God, soaking up the environment that I was in and
just continuing to be blessed by his enormous and
amazing art work that surrounded me!
Be blessed,
Melanie Hill
Overseas Mission offering for February (placed in the Missions envelopes) will go
towards the work of the Francis Family unless otherwise stated.
18.
Thank you for your valuable contribution to the work of the Francis Family and for
partnering with those from York Street Church of Christ serving overseas.

BAYNES: Benin, Africa
Hello Folks!
Well a lot has been happening...
The CFL (Liwietari Vocational Centre) started
their school year in October. I (Johann) have
been teaching English weekly, with discipleship/
biblical courses in rotation with two others, my dad
Gordon, and Pastor Rene. There are 23 students
learning Engineering and Construction alongside
biblical studies. I enjoy the students, especially the
3rd/4th year group whom I know. The others are
new to me and seem quite enthusiastic. Among the
first year group for biblical studies are two Muslim
students, which has been quite interesting! Heini,
the director of the CFL, has taken on board a few
Catholic and Muslim students (all are required
to take biblical studies). This has made it harder
in some aspects as we cannot teach on certain
subjects in depth, but it gives students a great
opportunity to go through the Bible and share the
gospel with those who don’t know Jesus, or who
believe that Mary is our intercessor instead of Christ
(Catholicism in Benin is also very syncretistic).
However we’ll see how it works out having non-
Christian students and it hopefully won’t be a
source of contention in the work place, or be a
point of discouragement for new believers (i.e.
a Muslim becoming a Christian in front of other
Muslims can be a challenge).
I have also been involved in overseeing the work
program for the CL (Liwietari Centre). The work
program includes maintenance, construction, field
work, tree planting (yes we are still planting trees,
every year!) and beautification of the Centre. I have
also been involved with evangelism and preparing
for seminars next year. Meanwhile Kristie is enjoying
her role as mother and wife. Most days she is with
the children, her ministry is vital as she teaches the
boys and nourishes us with her faith in the Lord and
yummy home baked pies! She still has moments
of adjustment here but has found her time here
much more enjoyable especially now that she can
communicate more in French and has another
missionary lady friend with whom she can talk
about similar things. (There is one other missionary
family in our town with 3 young children nearly all
the same ages as our boys.) In the photo Kristie is
sitting with Priscille, who is a 13 year old new Mum
who comes to visit with her baby. The boys are also
doing well although recently they all had a fever but
recovered quickly! We thank the Lord that they have
had good health and are growing well!
Some things have been stirring in my heart and
also stirring around us. You may have heard of
problems in northern Nigeria. Well Benin is right
next door and we live in the North. There is a very
real concern that some of these Muslim extremists
and the occasional Christian agitator will come
and cause serious problems. (As a centre we are
preparing for some seminars to teach Christians
what to do during persecution.)
Pray for our protection from those who would seek
trouble with us. Pray for us, as we have recently
had some issues with theft. Pray that we would be
alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic for the Lord!
For those of you unsure of your way of life, you feel
empty where you are at, maybe it’s time to let go
and start serving the Lord. The harvest is great but
the workers are few! The Lord knows your fears
but he will never leave you nor forsake you. And
whatever we leave behind because of the Lord,
how much more will we gain in this life and the life
to come (Mathew 19:29).
Well our greatest love and hopes for all of you. May
God bless you as you seek to follow Him.
Love from the Bayne Family - Johann, Kristie,
Enoch, Zion and Stefan.
19.

Missions continued...
Going out:
Liam O’Brien:
Left Thursday 10th January for his year-long
involvement with the Submerge course with Urban
Neighbours of Hope (UNOH). UNOH is partnered
by Churches of Christ. UNOH workers covenant
with God and each other to live out their passion
for loving God and neighbours. They focus on
releasing neighbourhoods from urban poverty and
grow through equipping each other, neighbours and
the broader church to radically follow Jesus and join
God’s Kingdom. They seek to live amongst, love
and inspire those facing poverty to be all they can
be in Christ.
The Bartlett Family:
Left for Lilongwe, Malawi on Monday 14th January
to continue their work with Ears Inc.
Kerry Jenkins:
Left Boxing Day for Cambodia with YWAM: Youth
With A Mission.
Returned:
Bec Howlett:
We welcome Bec home from her 6 month mission
trip with Hands at Work in Africa. We hope to have
Bec share some of her African experience with us
very soon.
Nathan Grills:
Returned from yet another stint in India to share
Christmas with his family here in Ballarat.
Mel Hill:
Returned from spending time with Nathan Grills, the
Francis Family and Sampan in India.
Lydeamore Family:
Returned to Atherton in Northern Queensland,
continuing their work with MAF.
Some are called to go and some are called to send.
Who will go and who will send?
Those called to go cannot go unless they are sent and
those called to send cannot send if no one will go.
Nurse Manager - Residential Aged Care
Looking for a change?
The Halls Creek Peoples Church is a small, mainly
Aboriginal Church, looking for an experienced
Nurse Manager to oversee the resident care in their
30 bed aged care facility in the remote Kimberley
region of Western Australia.
The position will suit a committed Christian with
20.
Aged Care Management Experience, enthusiasm
in ministry and a desire to work alongside the
Management Committee.
For an information package please contact;
Graham or Jodi Thompson
0418 907524 – 59 Marx Hill Rd, Bellingen NSW
2454 – thomo.7@bigpond.com

Name Badges
Ballarat Churches of Christ
Opportunity Shop
John
JOHN SMITH
Please remember, if you would like
to order a name badge the forms are
available on the information desk in
the foyer of the church.
The cost of the name badges is $10
each and they come with either a
magnetic or pin clasp.
‘The Cottage’ - 30 Eastwood Street
The Churches of Christ
Opportunity Shop in ‘The
Cottage’ at 30 Eastwood
Street is open for business.
Opening hours are:
Tuesday, Wednesday and
Friday afternoons
1pm-5pm
Donations of clean quality items for resale may be made
through the Ministry Office, Ballarat Central Church of Christ,
Tel. 5333 4396
Thank you
I want to express my great appreciation of the
kindnesses shown to me by many people from York
Street this year.
From July to recently I have had 2 major operations
and have been hospitalised four times. There were
days when the only visitor I had in hospital was a
person from York Street and those same people
continued to visit me in my home and help me in
various ways. Other people from York Street did
many kind things for me and everyone kept me in
their prayers. Many times I would have been happy
to have just died and for many weeks I could not
pray.
I normally never miss a day to communicate with
God through our Lord Jesus. I knew he was
always with me during the tough times when I could
no longer pray at all. When one is very ill there
comes a time when the joys of this earth don’t
seem to be worth the intense misery of living. At
these times those of us who are fortunate enough
to be aware of God’s presence can always know
that if we recover, life can be good and if we do not
recover, we go straight into the arms of our God.
How fortunate we are!
I believe at this point that God has chosen to
restore me to health and I hope I can continue to
live a happy and useful life.
My thanks in particular are to Linda and Mark
Pearse, Heather Gordon, Betty Veal, Russell
Mitchell and to Tim and Blake who never stopped
praying for me.
Gwendoline Blake
21.

Accommodation for Students
Can you help?
Sam, a 19 year old man actively involved in the Ararat Church of Christ, is seeking mid-week
accommodation in the Ballarat area this year. He is enrolled at ACU studying nursing/para medicine.
Sam is 19 and has his own car. Ideally, he is looking for a small unit or similar. Sam has been raised in a
Christian family & is a non smoking, non drinking, quietly spoken young man.
If you may be able to help would you please contact the church office for further details.
Can you help?
Kelson Holt, an 18 year old man who currently attends Glen Waverley Anglican Church (GWAC) in
Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs where he is involved on the music team, is looking for somewhere to live.
Kelson is moving to Ballarat to go to Uni (UB), studying Education.
Kelson is looking for meals and accommodation during the week and is planning to go home on
weekends. He will also be relying on public transport.
If you may be able to help would you please contact the church office for Kelson’s email address.
Can we help?
ACCOMMODATION IN MELBOURNE’S EAST - LARGE RENOVATED HOME.
INVITING MATURE YOUNG CHRISTIANS TO SHARE HOME.
Large, comfortable, furnished, recently renovated and well-appointed family home in a quiet street in
Melbourne’s East. Now ready - just waiting for the right people!
Inviting expressions of interest and applications from young Christian students and/or working people who
would like to start or be part of a new household.
THE HOME:
* Generously sized bedrooms – several ‘master bedroom’ size!
* Attractive. Mixture of carpet & polished boards.
* Several living areas including a huge Billiard Room with a 9’x 4’6” Table!
* Generous kitchen and Huge Laundry.
* Two bathrooms, two toilets and a third shower.
* ‘In Ground’, Solar Heated Swimming Pool in lovely garden & BBQ area for relaxing Summer Enjoyment!
* Gas Cooking and Gas Hot Water.
* Gas Central Heating and Air Conditioned for comfort.
* Off Street Parking available.
THE LOCATION:
* About 100 metres from the bus to both Monash & Deakin Universities plus links to train and tram
services.
* Only three minutes walk to the newly renovated ‘Forest Hill Chase’ Shopping Complex...
Please contact the Church Office for more information (ph: 5331 1079, email: office@yorkst.com.au).
22.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS
(Oh, and some DVDs)
The York Street Church of Christ Library is now officially open for
business and can be found in the Cafe area.
There are books and some DVDs in categories such as Biography, Christian life,
Marriage, Parenting, Fiction and many more.
Instructions for borrowing are simple and are found on the side of the
bookcases.
Material for The Vine
Do you have something you would like to include in the March edition of The Vine?
Please send it to the church office no later than Thursday 14th February, 2013.
We ask that material for the February Vine Update be at the church office by Wednesday February 6th.
Please note that while we do our best, we cannot guarantee all material submitted will be included.
23.

FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE
BREATH and SPIRIT
Did you know that right now as you read this
article you could be breathing in a molecule
of air that once travelled through the lungs
of Jesus? Scientists have estimated that 325
decillion molecules (32,500,000,000,000,000,00
0,000,000,000,000) passed through Jesus’ lungs
during his lifetime.
Dr. Martin St. Maurice concluded that there is a
possibility that we could be breathing the same
molecules of air today that Jesus breathed. He
wrote, “...All of these individual molecules are
constantly rearranged and recycled through
biochemical and geochemical processes, so you
aren’t breathing in the exact same gas molecules
that dinosaurs and Julius Caesar, or Jesus, once
breathed....Very little carbon, oxygen or nitrogen
is lost to outer space. It’s certainly possible to
imagine a scenario where you breathe in a molecule
of oxygen gas and in one of your cells it gets
combined with carbon from last night’s cupcake
to make carbon dioxide. Your exhaled molecule
of carbon dioxide is taken up by a young oak tree
and, with the help of sunlight, the carbon gets
converted into a molecule of cellulose that gets
locked into that tree’s biomass for years. Eventually,
over hundreds of years, that tree will grow, die
and decompose. As it decomposes, that atom
of carbon is released back to the atmosphere as
carbon dioxide and is used to generate oxygen
through photosynthesis. That newly formed
molecule of oxygen might be available to your
great-great grandchild. It’s not the same molecule
of oxygen that you breathed in years before, but it
could be traced back to atoms that once passed
through your body”
What is the significance of this to us as Christians
today? My answer is: ‘absolutely nothing’! Just
because we share an air molecule with Jesus does
not somehow connect us to Jesus in any spiritual
way. Something more fascinating to consider
though is this: what if Jesus could really breathe on
us today as he breathed on his disciples? What did
it mean for them to receive the Holy Spirit? What
does it mean for us to receive the Holy Spirit today?
24.
Misunderstanding about the Spirit’s role had led to
much confusion and extremism in the early Church.
So much so, that Paul felt the need to devote three
whole chapters of his Letter to the Corinthians to
correct the many wrong beliefs and practices that
had crept into the Church. His teaching is timeless,
and we do well to read his Letter again today so
that we can clearly understand that the Holy Spirit
has come, not to divide, but to unite the Church
and to assure that the work of God continues
according to the Father’s will.
In the insect world of termites we find an unlikely
analogy of the Holy Spirit. Here in Australia we
find some giant termite mounds that have been
constructed by these amazing little creatures.
Termites are acknowledged as the master
architects of the creature world and are able to
construct perfectly engineered towers with gold star
rated HVAC air conditioning systems that operate
without power or moving parts, and service some
3 million termites per colony. Dr Brand uses this
analogy and quotes from Lewis Thomas, “When
three or four termites are collected together in a
chamber, they wander about aimlessly, but when
more termites are added, they begin to build. It is
the presence of termites in sufficient numbers at
close quarters that produces the work. They pick
up each other’s faecal pellets and stack them in
neat columns, and when the columns are precisely
the right height, the termites reach across and turn
the perfect arches that form the foundation of the
termitarium. No single termite knows how to do any
of this, but as soon as there are enough termites....
they become flawless architects...building an
immensely complicated structure with its own airconditioning
and humidity control.”
Here we have an analogy of the Church working
together as a community. “In 2 Corinthians 13:14,
one of the few verses to name all the members
of the Trinity, Paul gives his benediction, ‘May the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
you all.’ In a neat summary of the essence of the
triune God, he does not say ‘the power of the Holy

Spirit’ or ‘the wisdom of the Holy Spirit’ or ‘the
purity of the Holy Spirit,’ but rather ‘the fellowship’
of the Holy Spirit... The Holy Spirit is God’s way of
establishing his presence here on earth by knitting
together all the members of his Body-the Church.
Community is the key word. The Spirit does not
approach me as an individual soul; rather he
connects me to the whole Body. Each individual
cell awakens to the conscious reality of the larger
whole” - the Church. (In the Likeness of God. Dr
Paul Brand and Philip Jancey).
The Letters of John give us a unique insight into
the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church today. John
gives the Spirit the unusual title of “Paraclete.” He
alone uses this word, and he uses it only five times.
But each time he uses it, it is in reference to one
of the fives ways that the
Holy Spirit motivates us as
members of the Church.
The great Bible teacher
Sidlow Baxter once spoke
about how the Holy Spirit
enables us to stand up
against the forces of evil.
He spoke about how in
our fight with the devil we
might receive a few ‘black eyes’ – five in fact! He
listed these as, Ignorance, Isolation, Impotence,
Indifference and Imperfections. The devil wants to
Isolate us as Christians, keep us Ignorant of the
Lord’s teaching, make us Impotent in our ministry,
cause us to despair over the world’s Indifference to
the Gospel message, and discourage us because
of our Imperfections. But with the Holy Spirit in
our lives we are not Isolated, because he comes
along side of us, (John 14:26) we are not Ignorant
because he will speak to us and instruct us along
the way, (John 14:26) we are not Impotent because
he will enable us to exercise our faith in the most
effective ways, (John 15:26) we do not despair
over the Indifference of this world, because it is his
work- not ours-to convince and convict the world
of sin and righteousness, (John 16:8) and we do
not despair because of our Imperfections, because
when we do sin, we have an Advocate with the
Father who is Jesus. (1 John 2:1.) Significantly in
this last reference to the Paraclete in 1 John 2:1
the word “Paraclete” refers to Jesus and not the
Holy Spirit. When it comes to our sin, Jesus, the
Righteous One will stand alongside of us before the
“The Holy Spirit is God’s way
of establishing his presence here
on earth by knitting together
all the members of his Body-the
Church.”
Father and tell him that our sins are forgiven!
So – back to our earlier question - what did it mean
for the disciples when Jesus breathed on them and
said, “Receive the Holy Spirit?” (John 20:22) To
appreciate this event we need to understand the
symbolism of breath as it is used in the Bible. It was
the breath of God by which man became a living
soul at the beginning of creation. It was the breath
of God which inspired men to prophesy and to pen
the words we now have as the Bible. When Ezekiel
saw the valley of dry bones that symbolized a
lifeless, captive nation of Israel, he prophesised that
God, in fulfilment of his promise to Abraham, Jacob,
Isaac, Moses, David and others, would reconnect
those bones, and breathe life back into the nation.
It is the Spirit who anointed Jesus after his baptism
at the beginning of his
ministry. At Pentecost the
Holy Spirit audibly and
visibly came upon and
transformed the lives of
the disciples and people
who were followers of
Jesus. Dr Brand and
Philip Jancey write: “The
Holy Spirit...allows the
reality of God’s own self to establish a presence
inside each one of us...” It is the Holy Spirit who
connects us once and for all with God and with
Jesus. But the most historic moment in Christian
history was some days before Pentecost, when
Jesus breathed on a very ordinary bunch of guys,
and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In that moment
He passed on his baton to them, and the Church
was born of the Spirit. That same Spirit is his gift to
us today.
We might pray in the words of the hymn: “Breathe
on me breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I
may love what you do love, and do what you would
do”.
(This is the final article in this series of Fearfully and
Wonderfully Made)
Ray Veal.
[All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®,
NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
worldwide. www.zondervan.com]
25.

Introducing Salt and Pepper for 2013
Beginning in March 2013 the Salt and Pepper
articles will walk step by step through the core
beliefs of our Christian faith. Subjects discussed will
include: beliefs about God, Jesus, the Church and
what it teaches and why it is here, the Holy Spirit
and knowing God’s will. One article will cover what
we believe as Churches of Christ. These articles will
seek to answer the core questions that people have
been asking for centuries. What is the meaning of
life? What does it mean to be a Christian in this 21st
century? Now that I believe how do I live in the here
and now? Hence the series title, Beyond Belief. My
aim is to write an easy to read owner’s manual to
describe what Christianity is all about.
Ray Veal.
Article for Parents
“Losing it” with Young People: Four things to do When we Stuff it Up
interact with young people get lost in the midst of all
of these pressures and we start yelling, not caring,
ignoring, demanding, dominating and forgetting.
What to do next? Here are four ideas that can turn
the negatives into positives.
I had a strong response to my blog post last
week about not being a perfect parent. People’s
comments made me think more about the issue.
Here’s my thoughts: most of us know how we want
to interact with the young people in our lives. We
want to be kind, patient, respectful and empathic.
We want to listen carefully, respectfully teach them
skills without taking away their independence,
sympathise with their struggles without rescuing
them and be gentle with them even when they are
angry.
But then life gets in the way. It’s 7.30am on
Monday morning and we have a million things to
get done before everyone leaves for school/work.
It’s last lesson on Friday and it’s been a really,
really hard week – and there are still reports and
paperwork to do all weekend. There’s sickness,
financial stress, other kids in the family, relationship
issues – and all of our own stuff overwhelms
us. Our good intentions about how we treat and
1. The most important first step is an apology.
It doesn’t have to be a long grovelling speech, a
simple “sorry guys, I was a bit impatient there”
or “I probably shouldn’t have jumped in before I
really understood what you were saying” is often
all that’s needed. But it is needed. Furthermore,
not only is an apology necessary, it is an incredibly
powerful learning tool. Every time we apologise to
a young person, it sends three vital messages: 1.
All humans make mistakes and it’s okay to make
mistakes, 2. it’s important to make amends when
you make mistakes, and 3. I respect you as having
important rights and want to try to avoid acting
unfairly towards you. These three messages can
have a strong impact on young people at times.
The value of an apology is almost worth stuffing up
for!
2. It is often extremely valuable to share our
struggles with young people when we stuff up. It
is important young people know the pressures
26.

we are under. We can say things like, “I don’t
know how to handle this situation”, “I feel really
disappointed that I couldn’t help you learn that
previously and I’m taking that out on you”, “I feel
stressed about life in general at the moment and
don’t have the energy to be as kind as I want”, “I
am worried that other people will think badly of
you” or “I let you do that because I was tired but I
probably shouldn’t have for your sake long term”.
Sharing our struggles helps young people know
what is going on, and helps them understand our
reactions are not just about them. HOWEVER, and
this is an extremely important point – we must be
careful that we “own” our own struggles with caring
for young people. This is
about our journey and we
need to make that clear. So
when we share what we are
worried/stressed/frustrated
about we should make
sure it is sharing rather than
blaming or lecturing. Our
sharing should not send the
message “see how much
stress you put me under”
or “so therefore you should jolly well be more
considerate”.
3. Once the mistakes have been made, it’s vital
to step back and look at what went wrong and
why. This is so that we can prepare in advance
for difficult times. We all know that there are times
which are going to be harder than others when
interacting with young people. Frankly, I do pretty
pathetic parenting before 7am. When things do
go wrong, it helps us identify times we know are
likely to continue to be difficult. We should be
mentally putting flags on these times – whether it
be last lesson on a certain day, preparing for tea,
late at night, or whenever our willpower and energy
are at their lowest. Once we have identified
those times, we need to be honest about the fact
however good our intentions are. We are likely to
get impatient, give in or do other kind of ineffective
“Teaching/parenting/caring
well is a marathon not a sprint.
Mistakes are part of the process,
and help us care more effectively
for young people than if we
hadn’t made the mistake in the
first place.”
caring at those times. Therefore, we should
consider whether we can change things around so
we are not setting ourselves up for failure at those
times. We could set up guidelines that we simply
don’t do certain things at that time, for example,
we might say we don’t have conversations or
make decisions at that time of day, we might
not deal with behaviour problems until the next
morning, we might have a rule that we eat before
we talk, do low intensity teaching/caring at certain
lessons – or something similar. Of course we need
to make sure we organise alternative times when
we are fresher to do these things rather than just
avoiding them entirely. It is not always possible to
avoid interactions entirely.
but sometimes a bit of
preplanning/having rules
of thumb/policies about
certain times can help.
4. Finally, next time we
should be reminding
ourselves to breathe.
When we know we are
stressed, frustrated or
worried and simply have
to deal with young people – one quick and easy
thing to do is: Breathe deeply before we speak.
The positives in taking a deep breath are more than
an old wive’s tale. When we breathe deeply, we
make physical changes in our brain. We redirect
brain activity away from the “fight/attack/defend”
centres and toward to “careful thought” centres.
This then helps us react more thoughtfully – and in
line with our intentions.
We will all ineffectively deal with young people at
times. Teaching/parenting/caring well is a marathon
not a sprint. Mistakes are part of the process, and
help us care more effectively for young people than
if we hadn’t made the mistake in the first place.
Kirrilie Smout
Used by permission of Kirrilie Smout.
All rights reserved.
27.

28.
SOAP
S is for scripture O is for observation
A is for application P is for prayer
FEBRUARY
1 Gen 38 - 40; Matt 25
2 Gen 41 - 43; Matt 26:1-35
3 Gen 44 - 46; Matt 26:36-75
4 Gen 47 - 48; Matt 27:1-31
5 Gen 49 - 50; Matt 27:32-66
6 Exodus 1 - 3; Matt 28
7 Exodus 4 - 6; Acts 1
8 Exodus 7 - 9; Acts 2
9 Exodus 10 - 12; Acts 3
10 Exodus 13 - 15; Acts 4
11 Exodus 16 - 18; Acts 5
12 Exodus 19 - 20; Acts 6
13 Exodus 21 - 23; Acts 7
14 Exodus 24 - 26; Acts 8
15 Exodus 27 - 29; Acts 9
16 Exodus 30 - 32; Acts 10
17 Exodus 33 - 35; Acts 11
18 Exodus 36 - 38; Acts 12
19 Exodus 39 - 40; Acts 13
20 Psalm 90; Acts 14
21 Lev 1 - 3; Acts 15:1-22
22 Lev 4 - 6; James 1
23 Lev 7 - 9; James 2
24 Lev 10 - 12; James 3
25 Lev 13 - 15; James 4
26 Lev 16 - 18; James 5
27 Lev 19 - 21; Acts 15:23-41
28 Lev 22 - 24; Gal 1:1-10
If you miss a day, don’t attempt to “catch up” the
reading. Jump forward to the current one.
Remember, it’s not about “achieving a devotion”,
it’s about developing a healthy habit of spending
regular time with the Lord.
Having said that, if you commit yourself to using
SOAP on a daily basis there is no doubt that your
life will be revolutionised.
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