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How can my church serve our local community?
The next funding round of Baptist Care SA’s Collaborative Community Projects is currently open, with applications due July 12, 2021. Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace. 1 Peter 4:10 Throughout his life, Jesus was committed to overcoming injustice and empowering people experiencing disadvantage, including; people with disabilities, those who were poor or sick, and women. As Christians, we are to live our lives following his example....
read more3 Tips for Dealing with Disillusionment
Article by Melanie J Saward With such eagerness, we all waved goodbye to 2020 and invited the ‘fresh start’ that 2021 promised…But as time passes, and the familiar sounds of a Test Match on TV fill the room with some semblance of normality, there’s an unspoken sense of uncertainty, as every news break could announce the next COVID19 lockdown. Of course, we have fared much better than many abroad. And in some ways, we have been rather naive about the havoc wreaked by this unbiased sickness. But I am sure, like me, you have wondered how exactly...
read moreGive your life a Spring clean
Article by Carey Hauri. As the cold gives way to the warmth of Spring we get the urge to open our doors and windows and sweep out the cobwebs and clutter of Winter. Life coach Carey Hauri invites us to do the same with our lives. In our busy, demanding daily lives, there is often little time left for rest, reflection and refreshment. The result? We feel tired, drained, stressed and anxious. Our spiritual, physical and mental health may also begin to suffer. Giving our lives a spring clean can help us get some perspective on our lives,...
read moreFaith and politics: Christian voices in the public square
Article by Tim Hein. I am an ordained Minister of the Word in the Uniting Church in Australia. I am also the Elected Councillor in local government, at the City of Mitcham in South Australia. I was asked recently how I justify my two positions in light of the doctrine of the separation of church and state. How can I be both an ordained Minister, and an elected representative in Local Government? It’s a fair question, and goes to the heart of a profound misunderstanding many people have around the broader issue of faith and politics. Let me...
read moreThe power of mentoring: when friendship snowballs into community
Article by Linda Jordan. For many years now the question of what can and should be done for globally displaced people has been asked and largely unanswered. The causes of displacement are complex. But whose responsibility is it to do something for these people? Is it ours? And what can we do anyway? No single one of us is ever going to solve the problem. But we are certainly not powerless. Georgie Tucker, a young occupational therapist, was inspired by a colleague to volunteer supporting new arrivals through Baptist Care’s Fuse Mentoring...
read moreThe Healing Power of Forgiveness
Article by Annette Spurr. Carolann’s life began on the devastated, post World War II streets of London, when Londoners still shook with fear at every loud noise, believing that war could reignite at any given moment. In fact, the government of the day encouraged Londoners to take up cigarettes and alcohol to self-medicate. It was into this environment that Carolann was born. The result of a failed abortion, as her mother reminded her daily. In her book ‘The King’s Daughter,’ Carolann Kelleher documents her true life story. Unwanted,...
read moreYour teenager needs to know that you like them!
Article by Sharon Witt. In my first two years of teaching High School students, I will happily admit now that I had little idea how to relate to teenagers, let alone those with bad attitudes, negative self-image and distaste for being in school and having to learn. Talk about a steep learning curve! As you would expect of a young, naïve twenty two year old graduate, I made many mistakes in those early days when dealing with the attitudes of my students. They should listen when I was speaking and shouldn’t misbehave. Boy! Did I have a great...
read moreInnovative faith based project helps the homeless
Article supplied. Homeless or homed, we’re part of one community In 1913, South Australian Baptists served hot food and cared for children whose fathers were deployed during the First World War, and whose mothers had entered the workforce. For over one hundred years the site in Adelaide’s inner city, has continued to be dedicated to the service of South Australians in need. Today, Baptist Care SA’s homelessness services provide 35,000 nutritious meals and close to 5000 bed nights each year. Homelessness in our state remains a prevalent issue....
read moreWhat is religious freedom?
Article by Chelsea Pietsch. Chelsea explores what religious freedom – a term commonly used but often misunderstood – actually entails. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right recognised by international human rights documents, and one which is integral to our human dignity. It enables people to live in accordance with deeply held views about what it means to be human. The right is safe-guarded by placing certain limits on government with regard to interference in the public and private exercise of religious freedom, and by ensuring...
read moreSomalia’s Hope
Article by Levi McGrath. ‘The children here…they need milk’, were the words echoing in my mind after talking with a village elder outside his makeshift home. Surrounded by the driest of deserts, with huts made from sticks and torn clothing, no running water, power or even a useable toilet; for him this was the most important thing. Milk. I had visited the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) settlement just days into a two-week trip to Somalia, visiting World Vision projects in the country’s famine-affected northern region. Years of prolonged...
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