Refugees and asylum seekers issues are major issues facing our country, with our political system taking a tough position against asylum seekers who arrive by boat. Recently, public policy and debates have centred around border protection and offshore detention in Naru and Manus, especially children in detention Naru and Manus. Fear of outsiders often results in hostility to the stranger. The call on us is to show generosity, hospitality, practical care and deep compassion (Matt 22:34-40), all of which can be pushed aside if fear overwhelms our practices. The work of advocacy as Christian moral voices is to love our neighbour, welcome the stranger & extend grace.  

I am a member of the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, that is calling for the united voices of Australian church congregations, to join with them to advocate for a humane approach to the care and support of refugees and asylum seekers. (click here for the ACRT media release) We need to challenge unjust systems today and stand with and care for those are marginalised, oppressed and persecuted. Under no circumstances should children be held in closed immigration detention centres – We are so thankful that last year, over 170,000 Australians signed the petition to get #kidsoffnauru and it worked!

I recently visited one of our refugee-based churches, Melbourne Mizo Church, who were holding a welcoming service of about 8 families who arrived through humanitarian visa. Having a church community to be part of provides an immediate welcome and support network for individuals and families. The churches I visit often comment that the BUV’s RAAL car loans have been huge symbol of the BUV’s welcome. 

One family at Mizo community told me that the car loan they received through the RAAL scheme was a wonderful example of God’s provision, encouraging them and making them feel welcome in their new home.

Another family told me that they literally survived on bread each day for 10 years in New Delhi as they waited for their visas. When they arrived, they were empty handed, and the car loan has been a huge gift for them. They can now take their children to school, attend church together and look for employment. 

Meewon Yang, Multicultural Consultant
 

Below are some useful websites and refugee-related resources:
Act for Peace – National Council of Churches in Australia
Amnesty International Australia
Asylum Seekers Resource Centre
Australian Council for International Development
Baptcare
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia
Foundation House – The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture
Hotham Mission Asylum Seeker Project
International Detention Coalition
Jesuit Refugee Service Australia
Oxfam Australia
Refugee Council of Australia
Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre
Refugee and Immigration Legal Service
Settlement Council of Australia
World Vision Australia

Source: BUV News

Praying for that 'One Day'

Often Rob and Deb will go on an early morning bike ride and devotional time. Then on weekday mornings they will meet with their language nurturers for culture and language lessons. Deb’s language nurturer is a Khmer woman of a similar age who lives in a nearby village. During lessons they will learn new words and phrases, as well as unpack cultural meaning and insight from what Rob and Deb have experienced in the community. Attending a recent Khmer wedding prompted conversations about faith, making merit and the cultural expectations of weddings in Cambodia.      

As most homes and businesses do not have a refrigerator, most Khmer women visit the market daily and Deb has also begun going to the local market most days. Rob and Deb will also spend time visiting and receiving visits from neighbours, and helping their landlord’s family who have recently been unwell. 

There’s no one typical day for Rob and Deb and there are many other activities that they are regularly involved in. However each day, in their interactions, conversations and activities, they are working towards the ‘one day’ where there are growing, vibrant faith communities among the Khmer. Pray with them for this day to come.

Source: BUV News

The latest research by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner looks into the experiences of women from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds who are exposed to technology-facilitated abuse.  The impacts of technology-facilitated abuse on CALD women are not substantially different to the impacts experienced by non-CALD women. However, social isolation may be amplified for CALD women where fear of shaming is particularly strong. The findings conclude that women from CALD communities face multiple barriers in seeking support to deal with technology-facilitated abuse, including: 

• language barriers which may contribute to CALD women not knowing what services are available to them, and create challenges for them in terms of explaining their personal experiences; 

• low digital literacy, which heightens their vulnerability to technology-facilitated abuse.  

To improve access to information and services for these women, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner have developed 12 translated eSafetyWomen guides for CALD communities with the highest incidence of reported family and domestic violence.

View the full research report here

View eSafetyWomen guides here

This article was first posted by the Office of the eSafety Comissioner –  Feb 2019

Source: BUV News

In this letter, Rev. Daniel Bullock reflects on his experiences at Camp Wilkin and discusses how Christian Camping brings families, friends and people together for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

As a long-time supporter of Christian camping, I was both interested and encouraged to recently see the research in the infographic below around the strong connection between camping and faith commitments. It caused me to reflect on my own experiences of Christian camping.

I have personally been involved in Christian camps in a number of contexts over many years, primarily in leading youth and all-age camps and attending church family camps. These events provided great community with one another, the opportunity to go deeper on a spiritual and relational level and the simple pleasure of having fun and relaxation in an environment away from the usual pressures of life.

I have terrific memories of family camps at Camp Wilkin, Anglesea when my son was a young boy. These occasions provided an inexpensive way to have a holiday in beautiful surrounds and enabled my son, as an only child, to connect with many other children. As a family we greatly enjoyed and appreciated meeting new people and forging friendships during these times.  Another added bonus is that camps can be a place to find one’s life partner; in fact, I have observed over the years a number of camp romances that eventually led to the altar!

The data in this infographic clearly shows Christian camps are pivotal in people making faith commitments, indeed I have personally seen many young people commit their lives to Jesus through youth camps.

My son, now in his teenage years, attends youth camps a couple of times a year and always returns enthused and renewed in his faith and speaks of friends who have given their lives to Jesus. As a parent this is very heartening to see and hear. I would also add, that my own experience and involvement as a leader in the Alpha program shows me those who attend the weekend away (part of the Alpha course) are more likely to make a faith commitment than those who do the course but do not attend the weekend away.  

“These events provided great community with one another, the opportunity to go deeper on a spiritual and relational level and the simple pleasure of having fun and relaxation in an environment away from the usual pressures of life.”

There is something about the time and space away which seems to help foster a greater openness to the gospel and likelihood of conversion. And so it is with the opportunities created by Christian camping.

I would encourage all churches to invest time and budget in creating opportunities for their young people and families to participate in Christian camps or retreats. The life-changing impact and effect is undeniable both statistically and anecdotally.

As a pastor and in my current role as Director of Mission & Ministries of the Baptist Union of Victoria, I have heard many testimonies citing a Christian camp as the place and time of coming to faith.  Others commonly refer to a camp or retreat as a pivotal point in their Christian journey, a deepening of their faith or some other defining spiritual experience.

Let’s not miss the opportunities that Christian camps and retreats allow for expanding and advancing God’s Kingdom!

Rev. Daniel Bullock
Director of Mission & Ministries
Baptist Union of Victoria

More information on Baptist Camps
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Source: BUV News