Reconciliation – Responding to Hate with Love

Reconciliation - Responding to Hate with Love

Baptist Advocacy Update | May 2026

Romans 12, particularly verses 9 onwards, are wonderful guides to those seeking to be advocates for their neighbours. “Be devoted to one another”, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need”, “practice hospitality”, “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”, “overcome evil with good”. The words of Scripture provide comfort and direction for how we should tackle the great challenges of our day.

So it is no surprise that I was filled with deep sadness over the booing and heckling directed at Aboriginal elders during the ANZAC Day ceremonies in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. For many First Nations peoples this is a painful reminder of the racism that can be a regular feature in regular life. I found myself mourning with those who mourned, and saddened by the disrespect shown towards the Welcomes and Acknowledgements – sincere acts of hospitality that greatly enrich public ceremonies in Australia.

For those of us connected to the wider Australian church, many of us would be familiar with Sydney’s speaker, Uncle Pastor Ray Minniecon and the significant impact his family has had on the church, from advocating for disadvantaged peoples at home and abroad, and for his long-term sustained support for stolen generations survivors. I was heartened to hear that at the dawn services, the applause and support from the crowd was far louder than the individuals who booed. Applause and support are far more appropriate responses to Uncle Ray’s faithful ministry.

So how can we, as The Church, show support for First Nations peoples, including fellow Christians who find themselves targets of racism and disrespect in both public and private life?

The response of RSL WA chief executive Stephen Barton provides a strong example of what we can do – standing alongside Noongar Elder Di Ryder, as he immediately condemned the disrespect during the ceremony. It is a lesson the church can take, both leaders and congregants, to be responsive and compassionate when our First Nations brothers and sisters come under attack. But in order to do so, first must come listening and learning.

As National Reconciliation Week approaches in May (27 May – 3 June), and NAIDOC week later in July (5 July – 12 July), churches have a unique role to show solidarity, compassion, dignity and grace just like Uncle Pastor Ray Minniecon, and the generations of faithful First Nations Christian leaders who showed bravery in the face of persecution.

For leaders, congregants and churches who are similarly troubled by the events of last weekend, but are motivated to do something about it, I would strongly encourage using National Reconciliation Week to have loving, gracious and justice-focused conversations with your church. This can be up the front in sermons, or in more private conversations including bible studies, youth groups and young-adult groups, and within dedicated prayer nights.

Being informed

In order to have authentic conversations to support First Nations peoples, it is essential that we centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, and not our own – for this reason I would strongly recommend looking at Common Grace’s resources on Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Justice as a starting point. For 10 years, they have collaborated with many First Nations Christians – including Uncle Ray – to faithfully equip churches to engage in the meaningful ministry of reconciliation.

For Christian resources on Acknowledgements of Country, please refer to Common Grace’s resources for direction and responses to FAQs. This resource helps guide speakers to speak an authentic, personal Acknowledgement, and addresses potential theological concerns that might arise. Check their Acknowledgement of Country guide here – https://www.commongrace.org.au/acknowledgement_of_country

For those who want to go further and recognise National Reconciliation Week in their churches, Common Grace also compile prayers, service guides, and Bible readings that compliment this year’s theme – “All In” – https://www.commongrace.org.au/national_reconciliation_week_2026

Giving

For those who wish to give, in addition to reaching out to our local indigenous churches and projects (including Bible Society’s Noongar Bible translation project), I would like to direct people to Scarred Tree Indigenous Ministries, where Uncle Ray Minniecon and his wife Sharon are co-founders and leaders- please consider a donation to this vital, community-led ministry work. https://indigenousgivingcircle.raiselysite.com/ 

I, like many, was outraged on ANZAC Day morning. However, as the link above states, “outrage alone does not create change. This is our chance to respond with respect, solidarity, and action.”. I can’t help but be reminded, once again, of Romans 12.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Author Theo Doraisamy is a member of the Baptist Advocacy Roundtable (Australian Baptist Ministries) and the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network, a joint initiative between Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches. He is also the Advocacy Support Volunteer for Baptist World Aid, and is a secondary teacher in his day job.

Follow Micah Australia here.

Baptist Advocacy Update March 2026

Baptist Advocacy Update | March 2026

Standing with Myanmar and PAELS

In the Baptist movement, we’ve had great opportunities to speak out for justice since our last update – and it is my delight to share with you the exciting activities that closed out our 2025, and the unique opportunities that are kicking off in 2026!

 
Stand with Myanmar and Converge 2025

Representatives from across the country representing the Baptist Church joined together to support our brothers and sisters in Myanmar for our flagship Converge summit in Canberra in October in order to support the Stand With Myanmar campaign.

Recognising the years of conflict, displacement and suffering that the military junta has inflicted since seizing power in February 2021, Stand With Myanmar represents a powerful, sustained movement of Baptists speaking out to those in power, and calling for action. Conducting over 25 meetings both in Canberra and in meetings across the country, WA Baptists have joined the national movement to show their solidarity with the peoples of Myanmar.

Our Stand With Myanmar event in November, in partnership with Baptist Mission Australia and Baptist World Aid, was also a success, raising over $2000 for the overall campaign. We are especially grateful for special guests Senator Dean Smith and Reverend Tim Costello, alongside the gracious hospitality of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church.

Rest assured for those who attended our gathering in November at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, that the work has continued on – with Mike Bartlett, from Australian Baptist Ministries and Baptist World Aid, giving crucial testimony to the Senate inquiry into Myanmar. Together we pray for the end of the junta, and look forward to continuing to work with the Australian government to speak up for our brothers and sisters and provide aid, humanitarian visas, and crucial diplomatic pressure.

Clockwise starting top left: The full delegation from Converge 2025, Image from Stand with Myanmar Event, Rev. Tim Costello AO from Stand with Myanmar Event, WA Baptist Delegation for Converge 2025.

Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Summit 2025

Now in its fourth year, the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Summit (PAELS) convened in Canberra in November 2025. Partnering with Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches, young Baptist leaders had the opportunity to join Christian representatives from across Australia and the Pacific to address the issues of rising social harm, threats to sovereignty and ecological destruction across the Pacific. Our meetings with government, opposition and crossbench MPs and Senators, and the Governor-General served to amplify our collective voice to all sides of the Australian Parliament, and provide professional, cultural and spiritual development for over 50 delegates from the Pacific Islands, the Pacific diaspora, First Nations Australians, and those from the wider Australian community.

Governor-General Sam Mostyn joining staff and volunteers from Baptist World Aid, Baptist Churches Western Australia, Micah Australia, Tearfund, and Uniting World. 

The Hon. Penny Wong addressing the PAEL network at Parliament House.

Upcoming Events in March

For those that wish to join us in pursuing justice, there are a multitude of opportunities that we can share with you and your churches, both in giving and in exciting in-person events.

Baptist World Aid – Giving Day March 19

After a successful Giving Day last year, Baptist World Aid is once again holding 12 hours of giving on March 19 – where if you donate, your money will be doubled by the Australian Government. Your gift will help:

  • Women in Lebanon learn tailoring skills, so they can earn an income for their families
  • Girls in Nepal avoid early marriage, so their education and childhood is not cut short
  • Mothers around the world join Self Help Groups where they can enjoy the learning and encouragement they missed out on as girls.

Our goal this year is $380,000 – so please share this with your communities and churches to maximise the way we give, and to send the strongest possible message to our government in Jesus’ name.

Micah Women’s Network Dinner – Monday March 23

Returning to Perth, Micah Australia is hosting their annual Women’s Network Dinner, for Christian women who care about justice to join for a meal and hear about how they can raise their voice for the marginalised. With guest speakers Asuntha Charles and Rev. Tim Costello, this is not an event to miss.

Justice 101 – Tuesday March 24

Finally, for those who care about Justice, especially Young Adults, this event is for you. Baptist World Aid is presenting a unique opportunity to others to learn more about the issues of today, why we should care and how we can make a difference, together.

Joining me at Como Baptist Church will be an expert panel of key staff from Baptist World Aid, including Ed Devine (our State Relationship Manager in WA) and Jayden Battey, our National Church & Partnerships Manager, flying in from Melbourne. Together we will have theological, educational and practical discussions on the important need for Justice in our world today – and what you can do about it.

Author Theo Doraisamy is the Advocacy Support Volunteer for Baptist World Aid. He is a member of the Baptist Advocacy Roundtable and the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network, a joint initiative between Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches. He is a secondary teacher in his day job.

Follow Baptist World Aid’s work here.

Follow Micah Australia here.

Baptist Advocacy Update November 2025

Baptist Advocacy Update | Nov 2025

Ethical Fashion and Standing with Myanmar

To love God with not just our hearts and souls, but also with our minds, we encourage any opportunity to grow in our understanding. For the month of November, I encourage you to look at two important initiatives that our wider Baptist family are championing – initiatives that will help you and your church families stay informed, educated, and empowered to make a difference.

 
Ethical Fashion – Ending Worker Exploitation

The first is to share Baptist World Aid’s brand new podcast Behind the Barcode, from our colleagues Hannah and Kat from the Ethical Fashion team.

Baptist World Aid have regularly published Ethical Fashion reports and guides to give Australian consumers information on how their favourite brands rank on critical issues like worker exploitation, sustainability, wages and human rights abuses. While previous editions of the Ethical Fashion Report (now in its 10th edition) have highlighted progress in this space, the rise of ultra-fast fashion brands present new challenges. The textiles industry remains a hotbed for worker exploration and environmental damage, and those who are looking to make a difference may not know where to start.

Complementing the team’s existing efforts in advocacy and education, Behind the Barcode blends thoughtful discussions and expert interviews to challenge and equip all listeners to make a difference.

For those looking to engage more with ethical fashion;

  • Listen to all 6 episodes of Behind the Barcode on Youtube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts by following the link here.
  • Speak out to your MP now by following the link here.
  • Give here via the BWAA Swaptober website to support the work of the Ethical Fashion team, or here to direct your funds to where they are most needed.
 
Stand with Myanmar

Our second update is that our wider Baptist Family are hard at work sharing the Stand with Myanmar campaign, and we will be facilitating a critical time of sharing and fellowship on November 22.

Regular eNews readers will know of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar at the hands of their own government. Since the military coup in 2021, thousands have been killed, over 20,000 are imprisoned and over 3 million are internally displaced. The devastating cuts to aid stemming from the dismantling of USAID has left 85% of the refugee camps on the Thai border without adequate medical supplies.

To address this problem, delegates from Baptist churches across the country, including from the Burmese diaspora, gathered in Canberra from October 27-29 to bring this urgent matter to the attention of the Federal Parliament, and to petition the Australian government to provide funds, enact sanctions and secure further humanitarian visas.

For those who want to hear more about Myanmar, join in prayer and hear about our delegates’time in Canberra, we would encourage you to attend and promote our Stand with Myanmar event on November 22, Saturday at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. Presentations from various churches and leaders across the Burmese diaspora in WA. Speakers will include those with longstanding advocacy for Myanmar, including Rev. Tim Costello, Senator Dean Smith, and BCWA’s own Pastor Cung Uk Lal. The event is free with registrations via this link. We would love to see you there.

And as always, please consider supporting the work that Baptist World Aid and Baptist Mission Australia are doing in Myanmar through a financial donation.

As we seek to grow in our understanding of God, and as we pursue justice in God’s name, please keep those affected by worker exploitation and the violence in Myanmar in your prayers.

Author Theo Doraisamy is the Advocacy Support Volunteer for Baptist World Aid. He is a member of the Baptist Advocacy Roundtable and the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network, a joint initiative between Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches. He is a secondary teacher in his day job.

Follow Baptist World Aid’s work here.

Follow Micah Australia here.

Safer World for All Update

Safer World for All - A Post-Election Update

Baptist Advocacy Update August 2025

In April of 2025, we wrote to you about the Safer World for All campaign – encouraging the Federal Government to maintain and support Australia’s foreign aid program. That same month Baptist pastors, chaplains, and their spouses from across the State gathered for the Annual Baptist Pastoral Retreat, where we had the opportunity to share about our vision to see the Australian Foreign Aid Budget to increase from 0.65% to 1% of our total Federal Budget.

On behalf of Baptist World Aid, we want to thank you for the generosity of your compassionate response in signing our postcards to push for a Safer World for All. Together we gathered 101 signatures from church leaders all around WA. This is an overwhelming response, showing our representatives in Parliament that Baptist Churches care about ensuring emergency aid and ongoing development support for our neighbours in the Pacific, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and beyond. At a time where conflict, climate and funding cuts put millions of lives at risk, Australia has an opportunity to provide genuine leadership in our region, and we are grateful for the support our Baptist family has shown in sharing our vision of an Australia that remains a generous, reliable, and engaged partner, living out the values of compassion and justice that we hold dear.

Ed Devine (WA Relationship Manager) and Theo Doraisamy (Advocacy Volunteer) have also had the privilege of sharing Safer World for All at 3 Baptist Colleges in WA and collecting 210 student signatures to be sent to parliamentarians. Together with the 101 postcards, we have reached out to all 16 members of the Australian House of Representatives, sending out your signatures with additional information, and making contact with each elected representative.

Next Steps

Our partners at Micah are hard at work to set up Safer World for All for the next phase of the campaign. While the election may be over, there is still incredible need across vulnerable communities around the globe – particularly in the Middle East, and in Myanmar. Please watch this space as we keep you updated on our next moves in advocacy, both as part of the Safer World for All campaign, and other advocacy actions that we at Baptist World Aid will get involved in.

We would also encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch with Baptist World aid to find out how you can pursue justice in Jesus’ name for your neighbours across the globe – as individuals, churches, workplaces and communities. With our leaders and schools engaged, we have a powerful opportunity to raise our voices as the body of Christ for a Safer World for All.


Students at Quinns Baptist College sharing with Tracey Roberts MLA.

SWFA Update 202508 2


The “Safer World for All” postcards for every WA Lower House Electorate

Author Theo Doraisamy is the Advocacy Support Volunteer for Baptist World Aid. He is a member of the Baptist Advocacy Roundtable and the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network, a joint initiative between Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches. He is a secondary teacher in his day job.

Join the Safer World for All campaign here.

Email Ed Devine at ed.devine@baptistworldaid.org.au or Theo Doraisamy at theo.doraisamy@baptistworldaid.org.au to arrange a School or Church visit for Safer World for All.

Follow Baptist World Aid’s work here.

Follow Micah Australia here.

How Wide is Your Net?

How Wide is Your Net?

“And I always make sure I invite some people who I’m fairly sure will say no.” I heard this little off-the-cuff sentence from Melinda Dwight (former Director of Alpha Australia) two years ago, and it’s stayed with me ever since.

Inviting is an important part of being a sacred agent. We all have our different gifts, ministries and settings, but at the end of the day – in fact all day – we represent the One who is inviting people everywhere into his kingdom. The gospel is news – and it’s also an invitation.

As representatives of Jesus, we want to be as inviting as he is, whether that be inviting others to lunch, to youth group, home group, Alpha or a church service. Is our invitation as genuine, warm, strong, and gentle as his? And importantly, is it as wide?

When we think about inviting, or are encouraging others to invite, so often our thought process goes like this: Can I think of one person among my contacts, who may be likely to be interested? And our minds are drawn to those most Christ-adjacent.

But Jesus’ kingdom doesn’t work like that. Surely we know that he doesn’t only invite those already closest to him. Saul of Tarsus certainly wasn’t. The kingdom is full of unlikelies. And even those who do indeed say no, No, or NO need to know that they are invited. The invitation itself plants a seed.

Imagine how things would change if we shifted the norm from ‘thinking of one person to invite’ to ‘putting the word out to all our contacts’:

  • We’d be almost certain to see a lot more people joining us
  • A great many Australians would be receiving multiple invitations, and what would they make of that?

We know that a lot Australians are interested in Jesus. Where their blockage is a sense that they don’t qualify or wouldn’t be welcome, what’s needed is an invitation. It needn’t be high-pressure, it could be as simple as a text message like this:

Hello everyone I know within cooee: Our church at West Beach is starting a new series through John’s gospel this week. Also an Alpha Course starting Aug 21. Let me know if you’d like to come along – or surprise me there! Just know you’re definitely invited.

In Jesus’ teaching, the Sower spreads the seed very broadly, and the fisher casts a wide net, not just a single line. How wide is the net you’re casting?

Author: Andrew Turner is the Director of Crossover for Australian Baptist Ministries.

Photo by Cassiano Psomas on Unsplash

What are the Chances?

What are the Chances?

I’m not a gambler, but it does feel like I’m always calculating the odds. Is it going to rain this week? Will the Adelaide Crows win? What’s the chance of a quiet evening without the phone ringing? We all peer into the future, Christians perhaps more than most. Which way is society going? To hell in a handbasket, or coming home to God?

Well, here’s some good news. A report issued last month by McCrindle1 showed that while nominal Christianity has dropped significantly over the last few censuses, some remarkable things have been happening regarding practicing Christianity:

  • The percentage of Australians attending church at least monthly has steadily risen from 15% (in 2011) to 21% (in 2021).
  • The percentage of Australians who are warm towards Christianity has risen from 58% in 2011 to 65% this year.
  • No less than 784,000 Australians who ticked ‘No Religion’ in the 2016 census went on to tick ‘Christian’ in the 2021 census. Think about that!
  • The percentage of Australians who are open to changing their religious views has risen from 8% in 2011 to 19% this year. (This looks like a shift from ‘these things are set in cultural stone’ back towards a genuine contest of ideas.)

McCrindle notes that across the 2010s it was older Australians driving the growth in Christianity. Other studies2 are now showing a surge this decade by younger people. What a turning of the tide! Let me make 3 comments:

  1. Praise the Lord! He is so good, why should we be surprised that more and more people turn to him?
  2. Much gospel work is a matter of sowing and reaping. I’d like to pat on the back all the sacred agents who represented Jesus well when the wind was against them, when following Jesus was uncool. To all the church leaders who’ve worked so hard at child safety and other standards, and to a million anonymous Christians who’ve been quietly washing feet, serving the marginalised, raising kids to know Jesus or praying for Grandkids. Others will reap what you’ve sowed, but you won’t go unrewarded.
  3. And when it comes to the Chances – what all this means for your local church or small group or ministry: For all this good news, the biggest factor determining growth is not societal trends, but the extent to which you invite, welcome and include. The likelihood of someone accepting an invitation to church may have risen from 30% to 40%, but 40% of zero is the same as 30% of zero.

Invite, invite! Make hay while the sun shines. And not just your ‘interested’ friends but everyone the Lord loves.

1 ‘An Undercurrent of Faith’ – McCrindle, 2025 – full report
2 See NCLS “Young People Most Frequent Attenders at Religious Services” here and the surge in Gen Z attendance in the UK

Author: Andrew Turner is the Director of Crossover for Australian Baptist Ministries.

Photo by Rhio Kroll on Unsplash

Church Growth as a Service

Church Growth as a Service

It’s hard to talk about church growth, but we need to – particularly in this moment of quiet revival*. We know God wants more people to be reconciled to Him. Yet pursuing growth can feel tainted by (or like flirting with) pride, manipulation, social engineering, and a predatory attitude toward people. None of that smells like Jesus, so conversations about growth often stall in awkward ambivalence.

And yet… we sacred agents remain convicted: God wants more people reconciled to Him. We’re commissioned to make disciples, and disciples are formed in community. So how do we move forward, when it feels Christian to both want growth and not want it?

The language of family makes a helpful start. In God’s extended family, our local churches are like little households. And in his mercy, he longs for more siblings to be adopted in. To those who receive Jesus and believe in His name, God gives the right to become His children. And a new place is needed at the table for each new child.

This is where churches can set tangible goals that align with God’s kingdom—without coercion, trickery, or sales targets. We can’t make people come to Christ, but we can remove barriers and make space for them.

What if a church of 50 didn’t aim to become 100 just for the sake of numbers, but instead worked to prepare places for 50 more? What if it offered that as a prayer-in-action: by buying more chairs, communion glasses, coffee cups; by preparing to run Alpha; by building a baptism pathway; by planning a sermon series accessible to newcomers; by auditing the liturgy for unintentional exclusivity; by planning ministries for generations not yet present—even building a playground when the youngest member is 57?

Some of this may stretch a church’s current capacity—but plan anyway, and pray specifically. Not just “God, send young families,” but “God, help us become the kind of church that’s fully ready to welcome and include young families.”

It’s a noble thing to prepare to feed more mouths and shelter more orphans. When a church gets this in its heart, it both lays a dare before God and also becomes confident to warmly invite others, without pressure. Here’s a great discussion-starter: “If God hand-delivered seekers and new believers to us tomorrow, how many could we take in and nurture? And what’s stopping that number from being higher?”

*Here’s a summary of a report from Bible Society UK showing soaring church attendance there – a trend also increasingly evident in Australia. It doesn’t affect all churches. It does disproportionately affect churches that are ready.

 

Author: Andrew Turner is the Director of Crossover for Australian Baptist Ministries.

Photo by Siya Nzimande on Unsplash

SWFA Budget Update

SWFA Budget Update

Baptist Advocacy Update April 2025

Can our Budget create a Safer World?

Last Tuesday night, my eyes were on the Australian Federal Budget. With a Federal Election looming, and the financial stress felt by a growing number of Australians, this budget is one of particular importance and significance.

One of the important issues at the top of my mind is one that doesn’t rate much of a mention in most discussions – Australia’s foreign aid.

In a single year, Australian Aid reaches millions, including 2.38 million receiving direct assistance, 248,000 able to attend school, 10 million immunised and 240,000 women and girls supported after violence. The work done by Australian Aid saves lives, and honours the Godly principles of neighbourly love and justice.

But foreign aid is under attack. Since my previous update on this topic in September, the US government has reduced their foreign aid by a catastrophic 83%, and the UK is set to divert money away from humanitarian aid to military spending.

But where others step away, we can step up – as individuals, as a nation, and as God’s church – that is where the Safer World for All campaign comes in.


Safer World for All

Organised by Micah Australia, the Safer World for All campaign is a platform designed to help Australians collectively raise their voice to inspire our leaders to act boldly and mercifully; to see foreign aid stabilised and supported, and for a pathway to be made to increase humanitarian assistance from 0.68% to 1% of the Federal Budget.

As Baptist World Aid is an official partner of the movement, our team has had many opportunities to partner with Micah on this initiative:

  • The SFWA campaign has conducted 55 meetings with our federal elected representatives over the last 6 months – I was glad to be a part of a thoughtful and comprehensive meeting with the Hon. Josh Wilson MP, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy and Member for Fremantle.
  • Others in the team have been conducting workshops at schools across the nation; our Church Relationship Manager in WA, Ed Devine has been visiting schools across the State, gathering signatures to send and present to MPs across the country.
  • Finally, Micah Australia have organised Electorate Forums in critical seats to engage the candidates in the upcoming Federal Election, including in the seat of Deakin where our Advocacy Policy Manager Mike Bartlett recently had the privilege of boldly advocating for the life-saving work of Australian Aid.


So, how did last week’s budget stack up?

The good news is foreign aid remains stable. With a $135m increase, Australia’s budget for foreign aid now sits at $5.1 billion, and is directing much of its spending projects in the Asia-Pacific region that have been most affected by the cuts to USAID. As Micah’s Executive Director Tim Costello reflected, “In a world where the US and UK are retreating, Australia’s decision to hold the line and lift aid funding is a principled and strategic move”. The message of Safer World for All is cutting through to both those in power and with key figures in the Opposition and crossbench.

However more can be done: using the measure of Gross National Income, we have slipped from 0.19% to 0.18%, and as a measure of the budget, we have gone from 0.68% to 0.65% – just one tenth of our Defence spend.

The opportunity for Australia to provide security, safety, stability and compassion in our world is immense. Where others step away, we can step up, and in the Treasurer’s own words – “we’ve come a long way but there’s more work to do”

I couldn’t agree more.


Getting involved

If these issues press your heart, I would encourage you to add your name to the growing number of Australians in the campaign. The heads of Australia’s Christian denominations have written to the leaders of the major parties, but we all have a part to play.

Follow the link here to join the church petition as an individual, as a whole church, or as a Christian workplace or organisation. You’ll find summaries and up to date information and videos that can be easily shared with your church and community. More resources can be found here, including the Church engagement toolkit.

As always you are welcome and encouraged to lend your financial support to the life-saving Gospel work of Baptist World Aid Australia where it’s needed most.

And finally, as you consider your vote and voice in the upcoming Election, please pray. Pray for our local leaders and politicians, that those with conviction have sway with their party rooms and party leadership, and that this coming election not be marked by division, but instead marked by bold, life-saving love.


Theo Doraisamy (left) meets with MP Josh Wilson with other Safer World for All campaigners.

Picture 2


Student Representative Council members at Austin Cove Baptist College with their signed SFWA postcards.

Author Theo Doraisamy is the Advocacy Support Volunteer for Baptist World Aid. He is a member of the Baptist Advocacy Roundtable and the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network, a joint initiative between Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches. He is a secondary teacher in his day job.

Join the Safer World for All campaign here.

Email Ed Devine at ed.devine@baptistworldaid.org.au to arrange a School or Church visit for Safer World for All.

Follow Baptist World Aid’s work here.

Follow Micah Australia here.

Becoming a Gospel Prepper

Becoming a Gospel Prepper

The Good Samaritan must have had some margin in life, don’t you think? Loving your enemy-neighbour that much surely took quite some admin! Bothering to attend to the battered stranger in the first place. Then there was all the over-and-above: Time taken to get him to care, money spent for treatment and recouperation, forty bucks for the deluxe donkey-wash.

Who has the time and money ready for that sort of spontaneous act? Uncomfortably, my first answer is ‘Not me’, and my second answer is, ‘The person who loves their neighbour the Jesus way.’ So going forward as a sacred agent, I have adjustments to make.

I think preparation is the key. Careful preparation opens up windows for spontaneity, as any romantic will tell you. So what would it look like to be a gospel prepper?

‘Preppers’, of course, are people who stockpile supplies in case of a future disaster. Sacred agents similarly have an eye on the future. We’re not oblivious to the dark powers and spiritual forces in the world, so putting on the armour of God Eph6 is good preparation for standing firm. But part of that armour, in Paul’s metaphor, is “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” So standing firm does not mean standing back or standing still!

Are we fitted out to cross that road and help that bleeding stranger? To run up to that chariot and share with the Ethiopian official? Ac8 To make the most of every opportunity with gracious conversation? Col4 The peace we have with God means we prepare not out of a sense of doom or lack of control in this crazy world – but with all the assurance of the one who naps in the boat before calming the storm.Mt8 The peace we have with God is a shalom we can share in radical ways like the Samaritan. It shows and tells the good news that what’s upon us – and right up in our face – is not a zombie apocalypse, but the kingdom of God.

Here’s a very basic Gospel Prepper’s Checklist:

  • TIME: You can’t schedule sudden opportunities. But why not arrange a code-word you can say/text to your friends/family that means, ‘Sorry, I’m delayed by an opportunity to show and share Christ’? Just having that conversation in advance could be helpful all round.
  • MONEY: A gospel-opportunity fund – even if it’s only enough to buy someone a meal – it’s set aside and ready to go when the opportunity comes.
  • WORDS: Memorise a basic outline of your own testimony/gospel outline, cleared of jargon and tangents and practised on your Christian friends – so you really are ‘always prepared to give an answer’ when asked about your hope.1Pe3

Imagine how effective we’d be at sharing Jesus if we were prepped up like that? How prepared are you? And what would you add to the checklist? Discuss!

 

Author: Andrew Turner is the Director of Crossover for Australian Baptist Ministries.

Thanks so much to all who have supported Crossover in Helping Australian Baptists Share Jesus. To give to Crossover see crossover.org.au/offering

Tensions

Tensions

Written by Sally Pim

You may remember, five years ago, a plea for prayer being sent out for a set of twins born in the village near us, to a family dear to us here. These premature twins had a fight on their hands with the boy weighing less than a kilo, and the girl not much more. Many of you wrote that you were praying. Thank you! Nurses who received my email sent suggestions that might help these babies. Thank you! Amazingly, these twins received the help they needed and today we celebrate their fifth birthday. It is a joy to see these two thriving and happy. It truly is a miracle. The family continue to thank God for His goodness and His mercy, for the way He saved these children. 

Yesterday morning the twins neighbour (who is a good friend of ours) let us know that his daughter had just had her baby, a new beautiful baby boy. She had gone into labour on Monday and we had been visiting at the hospital and waiting for the news. It was special to visit the new mother and her son at her parents’ home and pray together for this new life. He was so small, also premature, but the family had good plans and ways to care for him. 

It was a shock that, very sadly, he passed away last night. This baby was surrounded by a loving family who had been celebrating his birth only hours before. 

This morning I sat with the grieving mother, her sisters, their mother and several others as the men took the baby to bury in the cemetery. The twin’s mother and her family were there too, crying with this family, sharing the pain of loss.

A loss indescribable. Too sad for words. 

While in one house we were singing that God is good to give life to these twins, just next door, a life had been lost. 

Life and death. Joy and grief. 

And God is somewhere in both. 

I can’t understand it, the tension of this is too much for me to comprehend, and yet. I choose to believe that God is still good. I know His love is there for both families. Why some live and some die doesn’t make sense to me, and yet as I get older, day by day I am learning that life seems to hold joy and suffering in tension constantly. And while it looks like joy and suffering will continue all my days, so much more can I rely on God’s constant love to continue. He is near the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18). He weeps with those who weep (John 11:35). He delights in us (Psalm 147:11), and rejoices with us (Zephaniah 3:17). We can trust that He will not leave us alone in any of this. 

So often in this culture, and in the ones many of us sit in, we try to explain why bad things happen. But blame and condemnation can’t take away the pain that is felt from the loss of a loved one. Only love can comfort, only love can heal. If God is love, then we can look to Him, lean in to Him, to receive his care and tending.

Author Sally Pim is an Intercultural worker for Baptist Mission Australia. Since early 2017, Sally has been serving in Mozambique, among the Yawo people group. Sally lives in Massangulo, a rural town in northern Mozambique.

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For more information about Baptist Mission Australia, please visit baptistmissionaustralia.org