Slim dusty and Jesus in nursing home

Broome nursing home residents love regular church services

Do you ever get requests for Slim Dusty songs during your church services? As surprising as it was at first, this is now something our Broome team look forward to when they visit the local nursing home.

Earlier this year, the chaplain from Germanus Kent House invited the church to conduct a new service. She was keen for the nursing home residents to have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be encouraged in their faith. So now, a group of women from Broome Anglican Church and men from Broome People’s Church come together to share the hope and love of Jesus with some senior members of the Broome community.

Chris Webb gives a short Bible talk and the Aboriginal men help lead the singing and the prayers. The ladies get alongside the residents to chat and pray for each person. The country style hymns are definitely the main drawcard and often lead Margaret to call for Slim and other country hits. Wendy also gets excited when the team sings verses of familiar choruses in her own Walmajarri language. Dan, a retired Catholic priest, is greatly encouraged by the Bible exhortation and Mary is comforted by prayers for her health concerns. There are usually a few staff members who overhear the gospel as well.

Stacey, one of the team from Broome Anglican Church says, “I enjoy visiting because of the joy that the singing gives to the residents and the staff.” Having supported her own mum in a nursing home, Stacey knows firsthand the importance of this ministry.

Chris is excited by the way that members of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal congregations work together to show God’s love to the wider Broome community. He says, “These little services are a great way for the men to serve others with the gifts that God has given them.”

Please pray for residents to be comforted by God’s promises and put their trust in Jesus for eternal life  

Can you serve God in the North West?

There is no retirement in the Bible, says Bill Ross with Jocelyn in Shark Bay

Shark Bay Minister Bill Ross has tried to retire twice. However, at 77 years of age he is still serving God in the North West alongside his wife Jocelyn. The couple ministers in Shark Bay – a nine-hour drive north of Perth. Next year will mark 50 years of ministry in this remote region.  

Asked why he wasn’t spending time on the golf course, Bill replied: “There is no retirement in the Bible. We saw that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. God said ‘go’and we went! How could we sit around and do nothing when the opportunity is there and the need is there?”

Bill has played an important role in raising up young ministers to lead isolated North West churches as he has discipled and worked alongside them for almost half a century.

In Shark Bay – a world heritage listed area - he preaches from the Bible each Sunday. During the week the congregation meets for Bible study and prayer. Bill and Jocelyn have joined every community group they can find and are praying that God will turn these contacts into connections for the gospel.

The joy of fellowship

Looking out the window presents a very different view from North West Australia. I see the fall colours of North and South Carolina, along with their cooler temperatures. Currently, I am visiting supporters in these states, speaking at churches, meeting key Christian leaders and sharing the work of our diocese with mission-minded individuals and groups. I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ whose vision reaches even the North West. 

‘Making disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28.19) is our key focus as we seek to proclaim the gospel faithfully, anchoring all we undertake in the trustworthy Word of God.

The privilege I feel in visiting churches, groups and individuals has given me a new appreciation for the list of Paul’s greetings that we find at the conclusion of his letters. The sense of gospel mission, and hence fellowship Paul shares with these people, is very encouraging. We see bonds stretching across the Mediterranean, centred in knowing Christ and making him known. 

So, he writes in Colossians 4 of folk such as Tychicus, who ‘is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord’ (v.7) while he asks the Colossians to pass on greetings to the Christians ‘at Laodicea’, along with ‘Nympha and the church in her house’ (v.15). But Paul is also concerned that the church at Colossae is aware of the fellowship they share with his fellow workers. He writes (v.10ff),

‘Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas … and Jesus who is called Justus. [They are] among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God’.

Friends, it is such a joy to fellowship in the gospel with you as you pray and support the work of the diocese. We continue to have incredible opportunities to bring the good news of Jesus to the nations passing through our region, whether as iron ore miners, tourists, agricultural workers or seafarers. Please pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up more workers for his harvest here in the North West, especially for a minister in Exmouth, as well as, chaplains for our missions to seafarers in Dampier and Port Hedland.

Please accept our greetings and heartfelt thanks, whether you are in Australia or overseas, as we fellowship in making disciples of all nations.

Bishop Gary

Wedding bells - Wangkatjungka

Wedding bells rang out at Wangkatjunka when Tony and Audrey decided to marry after coming  back to the Lord at a recent Christian convention.

“They wanted to bring their lives into line with God’s word in all sorts of ways,” said Broome Minister-in-Charge Michael Baines, who had the joy of helping them tie the knot.

“They desired to get married because this is what God wants for men and women who want to live together. Tony was happy for his community to see him being affectionate to his bride because he wants to be a good example of how to love your wife.”

The joyful occasion brought together the whole community of about 280 people who live some nine hours’ drive east of Broome.  

Michael explains that Broome Anglican parish has two services, a morning gathering and an evening indigenous service called the Broome People’s Church. The parish enjoys a growing partnership with the brothers and sisters at Wangkatjunka People’s Church.

“Tony assists in leading this church and it’s our privilege to help equip and support him with ministry resources provided by CMS Missionary Chris Webb, who leads the Broome People’s Church.”

Members from Broome have also helped repair the remote church building to make it suitable for meetings. 

NW ministry training program

“My heart’s desire is to clearly share the gospel with youth and young families, in the hope that God would save many.
”

— Brendan & Laura Hurley

The first candidate in our Training for North West Ministry program has been ordained in Geraldton for gospel ministry in remote WA.

Brendan Hurley is working alongside Paul Spackman at St George’s Bluff Point for four years as he prepares for the challenges of leading a church in this isolated region.

The North West Diocese recently launched the program which provides on-the-ground training to secure a pipeline of future gospel workers willing and equipped to serve.

Bishop Gary Nelson said the Diocese had concluded it was the only way to guarantee shepherds to lead God’s people.   

“We regularly have parishes without ministers and Mission to Seafarer Centres without chaplains. I travel all over Australia, speaking with many men in a bid to persuade them to consider ministry here.

“For example, Karratha is a big vibrant city and we’ve approached more than 40 people but sadly the post has been vacant for a year now.

“Yes, it’s isolated, the weather can be extreme and there is a high turnover of residents. However, there is great joy in proclaiming Christ and helping raise disciples in this part of God’s creation.”

In Geraldton, Brendan’s focus is on bringing the gospel to the next generation which means he will also work in partnership with the Cathedral parish.

“I became a Christian at 15 and since then I have just wanted to tell as many people as possible about what Jesus has done for them.

“My heart’s desire is to clearly share the gospel with youth and young families, in the hope that God would save many,” he said.

Brendan grew up in Sydney and worked as a banker but felt convicted that he should help grow God’s kingdom instead of growing customer bank accounts.

Finding freedom in gaol

“I often speak about 2 Corinthians 5:17, that if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.”

— Prison Chaplain David Hilton

Prison Chaplain David Hilton is helping inmates at Greenough Regional Prison break free of their past as they hear about Jesus, study the Bible and worship God.

Thanks to a partnership with the Bible Society, David has Bibles to give away and lend.

“A man came to faith in Christ while in prison and requested a Bible to take with him on release. He spoke about how beneficial his prison time had been, and how his new faith had given him a fresh perspective on life. He was an avid reader of the scriptures and was very happy to do this with his own Bible.

“Another prisoner asked me for a Bible in Arabic. Literature is strictly regulated in prison and I had no idea how to source one from an acceptable non-English supplier.

“I found it impossible until a Bible Society grant enabled me to get a prison-approved copy within one week!

“It was very significant for this man, because he has almost no functional English and is facing a very substantial prison term. He was overjoyed to receive the scriptures in his native language.”

David’s workday is full of difficult experiences. He may be talking with a parent who has murdered their own child, meeting with a prisoner who has killed their partner or singing hymns with violent criminals.

However, he’s had the privilege of baptising a prisoner (after he was released) and encouraging others – generally up to 12 men - who have chosen to enrol in correspondence bible study units run by Crossroads Prison Ministries.

David believes in ‘Christianity with sleeves rolled up’.

“Jesus went to the outcasts and if you want to meet outcasts you go to prison. It’s full of people whose circumstances and lifestyle has led them into a tragic place,” he said.

“However, being in prison doesn’t mean your soul is imprisoned. You can have freedom when you meet Jesus in prison.

“I often speak about 2 Corinthians 5:17, that if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.

“This is a powerful message for prisoners because they are often full of self- loathing and self-hatred. They struggle to define themselves beyond what they have done. Even their clothing – prison garb – tells them they are a sinner. Knowing they can break free from the past is important.”

David warns that working in prison is stressful and difficult. This requires you be ‘gentle as a dove and wise as a serpent’, quick to listen and slow to speak.

“The human heart is not naturally directed to do good and a lot of people are quite happy in their sinfulness. You need wisdom to know how to talk to people and to be appropriate in what you say.”

Please pray that prisoners would find the true freedom that comes from accepting Jesus’ forgiveness

Kids hear of God's salvation plan

In Exmouth almost every child from Kindergarten to Year 4 has heard the good news about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation, during Anglican Church minister Frank Nicol’s school visits.

 It was a wonderful answer to prayer for Frank, and his wife Jo, who had been praying fervently for such an opportunity following a conversation with a school parent.   

 Jo explains: "A school mum told me she wanted her children to know the story about Christmas but didn't like to deceive them, especially because they were intuitive boys. To my shock, she was talking about Santa — not Jesus, and I realised how far the true meaning of Christmas was from her radar,” Jo said.

 "How terrible it is that people don't know Christmas is about Jesus!"

Frank, who is also part-time school chaplain, approached the Exmouth District High School principal in the lead up to Christmas. He was thrilled to be invited into classrooms to tell children about the first Christmas. 

Using the Bible Society resource pack The Really Good News of Christmas - for Me!, Frank explained God's big plan to 11 classes in junior primary. He was supported by Jo and a friend from the Exmouth Christian Fellowship. Parents were given the choice to opt out and a handful of children didn’t attend the lessons. 

Later at the town’s annual Community Christmas Carols, some 150 children joined in to perform the song they had learnt - On that very first Christmas - and receive a free gift of the book. 

Meanwhile, in Dongara there is a waiting list of children for the one-day kids’ club run by David and Traci Mitchell at Easter and Christmas time.

“Hardly any children are involved regularly with any church in town, so we have been running holiday clubs to engage more with primary school students,” David says.

Many of the kids from David’s scripture in school class also choose to come along.

“It has been very encouraging to see our church members prepared to serve God with their different gifts and so now we can pretty much run the clubs without relying on outside volunteers.

“For each club we use resources generously donated by Sydney supporters — a wonderful partnership in the gospel which enables us to grow ministry here and equip members of our church for ministry.”

Please pray for children and their families to know the Living Lord