Prisoners do business with God

“This is the best thing I have ever read,” said a prisoner in remote Western Australia after learning that Jesus died for his sins.

He was stunned to read Romans 5:8 and find that: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Our chaplain in Wickham, Matt Warth, visits Roebourne Prison weekly to hold a regular Bible study for up to 24 guys and says it is the highlight of his week.

Last year we spent 12 months going through Mark’s gospel. Mark is not a big book nor a hard book but the guys wanted to really understand it and so we studied it at a good and consistent pace.

‘’I tell them they are here to do business with God, not business with God through Matt. “And the power of God’s Word is amazing. There is one young man who has undergone such a remarkable transformation in attitude and outlook that even his acquaintance can‘t believe he’s the same guy.

“Sure, the discipline of prison has helped him, but as he has sought to understand God’s word, the Spirit has changed him.”

After release, Matt says, the prisoners tend to keep their distance. However, recently a fellow asked if he could visit and ”talk Bible” together.

“It is so encouraging to see God at work drawing people to his son Jesus. The guys usually come to Bible study the first time because it’s held in the only airconditioned room in the prison.

”But then they keep coming and happily spend up to two hours each time reading the Bible. ”It blows them away to learn that no matter what they have done, God forgives and loves them unconditionally.”

Brigade outreach

At the Geraldton Boys Brigade young people are learning habits to form a solid foundation for a life of faithfulness to Jesus.

Brigade Captain Eion Simmons praises the program which helps boys and young men develop Christian maturity, balanced personal growth, leadership skills and community service.

“One of the strengths of Brigade is its practicality. Kids learn skills such as how to read the Bible for themselves, camping, bush survival, cooking and debating.”

“We don’t have a Girls Brigade at Geraldton Cathedral, but girls are able to join the primary school age sections of the company,” Eion says.

Brigade is an outreach which attracts children from non-Christian families as well as from a range of other churches in Geraldton.

“Our programs encourage kids to develop habits that are part of true Christian manliness, such as obedience, reverence, discipline and selflessness.”

Programs are on hold but will begin again once Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.

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