Training key to long term mission

We reached a big milestone this year, when a second young couple joined the North West Ministry Training Program.

Matt Morrison, (with wife Leonie), began as Assistant Minister at Dongara parish, having committed to spend four years getting equipped here before moving to lead a remote church.

Bishop Gary Nelson said the training program was vital to the future of Anglican Bible-based ministry in the North West.

“This program is an important strategy to overcome the problem of sustainability — finding and recruiting ministers who will stay in the North West and serve Jesus long term.”

Gary said that last year Brendan Hurley (with wife Laura) began their training based at St George’s Bluff Point with Revd Paul Spackman.

“We aim to equip ministers with skills and resilience so they can thrive amid the isolation, transient populations and sometimes harsh environment.

“It is very significant to have homegrown ministers for this missionary setting, so that when they move to lead a parish they can hit the ground running.

“The North West is a strategic place for making disciples from all nations, whether it be among young workforce graduates, international seafarers, mine workers or Aboriginal communities.”

“In God’s goodness, we have another excellent young family keen to begin training next year and we are praying that God will raise up the support to make this possible.”

Live Stream Church a lifeline

North West Live: A Lifeline for isolated believers

“Church is like taking a beautiful spiritual drink in your work swing”

Covid-19 has produced a blessing for Christians in towns like Paraburdoo, which hasn’t found a minister willing to serve there.

The Diocese launched North West Live so isolated and remote believers can join church online via Zoom each Sunday at 10am.

Young Paraburdoo local, Reece Gordon, who only became a Christian four years ago, agrees.

“I cannot say how blessed I feel to be able to tune in every Sunday. ”Bishop Gary’s Sermon, the Scripture readings, prayers and worship songs are so uplifting to hear.

“I am amazed how the Lord has blessed us with this wonderful way to fellowship across the great expanse of the North West.”

Haulpak driver Alyse Anderson says online Christian encouragement is so helpful in mining towns. “Working in the mines is a bit like learning to live in exile. The guys have a unique, colourful language and don’t mind discussing absolutely anything in mixed company. God is just a swear word.

“Church is like taking a beautiful spiritual drink in the middle of your work swing.”

Outreach priority for young ministers

Brendan Hurley (R) ministers with Paul Spackman at St George’s Bluff Point

At St George’s Bluff Point, Assistant Minister Brendan Hurley is focussed on helping more people worship Jesus with their whole lives.

Brendan says the church is growing and this year added a new Sunday Night Church at 6pm to reach out to young people.

“We don’t just want a full building. We want to see the gospel change lives and this means we want to see conversions of unbelievers and increased maturity in Christians.”

Matt and Leonie are the new ministry couple at Dongara Anglican church

At a recent Parish Council Development Day, members of the church in Dongara agreed to work on strengths, as well as areas for improvement - one of which is evangelism.

Their aim is to see their church grow. New Assistant Minister Matt Morrison was thrilled to have this commitment to evangelism to shape each part of the 2020 ministry plan so people can be encouraged and equipped in this area. “Especially in these troubling times with Coronavirus, we put our trust in God and we have a message of hope that we want to share with family and friends,” Matt said.

Onslow Church reopens

One of our churches in a remote part of the Pilbara region has reopened after 15 years, as the gospel expands in the North West.

Christians living in Onslow rejoiced at the news that, after major repairs to restore the building, ministry would begin again at St Nicholas’ for the first time since May 2004.

Local resident Jo Yates exclaimed: “We are all encouraged to get the roof of the church rocking and let it be seen that our church is being used.

“I am excited that community members will see people meeting to listen to God’s word. I pray this will bring hope to our community and encourage others to seek out the Lord,” she said.

The plan is for the Exmouth Minister to make the eight-hour return journey by car once a month to lead a service, disciple believers and meet with locals over two days.

During Covid-19, Revd Kees and Cindy Bootsma visited and threw open the doors virtually. They set up the Exmouth-Onslow Anglican Church so believers from both towns now fellowship online together.

Showing God’s love to seafarers

Dampier Chaplain to Seafarers Jake De Salis had just 30 minutes with a seriously ill seafarer named Bert before he was medevacked to Perth. In that time Jake told the mariner about salvation through Christ and they prayed together for Bert to come to know Jesus.

Jake says this can happen at Mission to Seafarer Centres in the North West because the seafarers receive a genuine experience of the love of God expressed through the centre staff.

The seafarer’s life is tough, spending up to nine months away from home as crew aboard giant ore carriers. Mission to Seafarer Centres provide physical, spiritual and emotional care to support them in their loneliness.

Jake had received a call asking him to visit Bert who had been hospitalised with severe gastrointestinal infection.

“I was there as salt and light for the sake of God because, in all honesty, I didn’t want to go to the hospital that day”, Jake said.

“But in the end, Bert knew that I was displaying something outside of myself for him to see. As a result we prayed that he would come to know Jesus and we prayed also for his family.

“We prayed for his young wife, his mother and his sisters. He talked about going to a church that a friend had asked him to attend but he had always declined to go.”

“All of this was because Bert could ‘see… good deeds and know to glorify your Father in heaven, and I praise God for that.”

Jake says the Mission to Seafarers is a precious ministry.

“When seafarers visit a port, they find most people are there to earn money (and big money in the Pilbara). People only have a passing and mostly professional interest in seafarers.

“However, it is completely different at the Seafarer Centres. The chaplain, the drivers, the staff and volunteers all have a focused interest only in the seafarer. The seafarers love this display from us and they relish it.”

Please pray for the good news of Jesus to comfort seafarers.  

Dusty boots bring outback joy

Local kids responded with great joy when the Dusty Boots Mission team arrived in Wickham recently.

The Dusty Boots team of volunteers from Youthworks College, Norwest Anglican Church in Sydney and BCA have partnered with Wickham Community Church to run a two-week mission each year in the Aboriginal community.

Wickham lay leader Naomi Warth said: "One highlight is seeing the utter joy on the faces of the children when the team rolls in each year.

"The local kids love the Bible and community activities and they really appreciate the love and unconditional acceptance they receive from Dusty Boots team members.”

Up to 200 residents, including more than 40 kids, heard about the love of Jesus through activities including breakfast club, afternoon kids’ club in the park, Sunday church and community dinner around the campfire with singing and a Bible talk.

Wickham Chaplain Matt Warth said the community meals enabled one lady to reconnect with church.

“The Dusty Boots team had such a genuine interest in her and her family that she wanted to hang out with us. This reignited her interest in church and she began to come along on Sundays. We are praying that the grace of God will draw her to Jesus and that she becomes a regular member of our fellowship.”

The relationships of trust that are built during mission mean that children reach out to Wickham church members during the year, long after the team has gone home.

Support Matt and Naomi Warth to minister in Wickham

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.