A great night was had by all at our Fundraising event in June raise funds and awareness for people seeking asylum and the continuing work of Baptcare Sanctuary and Houses of Hope. The Church has just completed sermon series on the books of Revelation and Job and reflecting on the lessons to be learned from the seven Churches and Job and his “friends”.
Source: BUV News
Participants in our recent Ignite2016! Conference were blessed by the worship leading of our brothers and sisters from The Terminal Baptist Church. These gifted musicians have also recently led worship at BUV Equip and at our March Ordination Service. Here’s a piece of them leading us into the presence of God in worship at Ignite2016!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIj8A-u8_Lw]
Source: BUV News
Meet Pastor Stephen Field who shares his heart and experience of ministering in Boort.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv82Xpa0-Ls]
Its also worth checking out a great initiative called the KGB – which is a partnership in the region between Boort, Granite and Kerang Baptist Churches, joining together for mutual support and more effective mission.
#bettertogether
Source: BUV News
Participants in our recent Ignite2016! Conference were blessed by the worship leading of our brothers and sisters from The Terminal Baptist Church. These gifted musicians have also recently led worship at BUV Equip and at our March Ordination Service. Here’s a piece of them leading us into the presence of God in worship at Ignite2016!
Meet Pastor Stephen Field who shares his heart and experience of ministering in Boort.
Its also worth checking out a great initiative called the KGB – which is a partnership in the region between Boort, Granite and Kerang Baptist Churches, joining together for mutual support and more effective mission.
#bettertogether
by Darren Cronshaw
Chin and Karen have appreciated lay leadership training and network meetings and multicultural pastors’ retreats hosted by BUV, and Whitley College’s Transformation program with its monthly Saturday Diploma classes for LOTE students. But there are also needs for informal training that is transformative for younger leaders. Whatever else is included in the ingredients of this kind of training, it needs to include training in local mission including understanding Australian culture and appropriate evangelism. (Cronshaw et al. 2015: 272-273, 277) Chin and Karen people have a strong sense of mission, but it is usually focused on supporting mission back in Myanmar or hosting weeklong gospel crusades with international guest speakers here in Australia. (Kung 2016) But many leaders are eager for their churches to grow in local mission in years to come, beyond just outreach to Chin and Karen migrants or supporting mission back in Burma. Rev Ronald Suah, pastor of Melbourne Mizo Church, said with a sense of destiny for local mission, “God has called us here for a reason”. (Cronshaw et al. 2015: 266)
BUV have been developing plans for Generation Y emerging leadership development across our churches. (Cronshaw and Wilson 2016) We identified that to grow Generation Y leaders requires: a culture of mission-focused leadership development focused; opportunities of apprenticeship of learning by doing; mentoring; an empowering and collaborative leadership model; including gender, age and cultural diversity; financially sustainable training and ministry; and reframing our definition of leadership. We need these frameworks and want to develop individual coaching and “communities of practice” group coaching for emerging leaders. Local churches will be invited to nominate prospective mentors and emerging leaders. BUV may pair 25-40 year old emerging leaders with mentors, and invite 15-25 year olds to participate in group coaching cohorts that combine input on mission and leadership with space for action-reflection on faith and ministry experience. These programs will cater for Anglo and other culturally diverse leaders.
Ongoing conversations with Karen and Chin leaders, including the interviews for this chapter, suggest that mentoring, learning communities and seminars would be valued, but an important place to start for training next generation leaders is to equip them for children’s and youth ministry. Chin churches can get Chin Sunday School resources from Burma and America, and Karen teachers can translate English or Burmese resources. But pastors say they need improvement in interactive and learner-centred teaching methods and locally contextualised content, and guidelines for Bible teaching, discipline and child psychology. (Hei et al. 2016; Ngur 2016; SiKhia 2016) Next generation leaders such as Allbright, Mi Doh and Marry say they need mentors and role models. They want to learn from what is happening successfully in churches of other cultures, and put into practice some of the activity based learning they have experienced with Praxis. They also commented that any training must be built on relationship and trust, so next generation leaders can learn who BUV is. (Allbright and Htoo 2016; Hei et al. 2016) A commonly favoured timeslot for this kind of learning community is Saturday mornings, including lunch so leaders and teachers can eat together. The focus could begin with children’s and youth ministry, but include faith formation in a next generation LOTE context and equipping for mission in Burmese and Australian cultures.
The need for ongoing conversation and mutual learning is underlined by the complexities of the issues involved. Rowan Lewis, Whitley College’s NEXT coordinator, reported that they have learned principles that guide NEXT faith formation are Western, and that Chin and Karen young adults also need to grow in owning their own faith, but the trajectory and process will likely be different to Anglo Australians. (Lewis 2016) Rev Moo Hei, Matt Moran and Marry at Croydon Hills are developing mission trips to liminal places Uluru and the Thai-Burma border so that young people of Karen and other cultures can explore their faith and identity in the context of mission and cultural difference. (Hei et al. 2016)
Sam Chan
Samuel Chan asserts that resources and training programs are a good start, but not enough for really influencing second generation Christians. Influence will come best from entering into the community and not just being another service deliverer that LOTE church parents deliver their children too, alongside music lessons and school. Chan urges entering into the life of second generation culture, really seeking to understand the young people and their experience, and tailoring training and mentoring and companionship to suit. It is the task of a good missionary even as we seek to cultivate the heart and skills of missionaries in Karen and Chin young people. (Chan and Chan 2016) From another perspective, it calls for high intercultural intelligence in teachers and mentors, an area that many of us may need more training in, even as we see to cultivate that intelligence in Karen and Chin communities in bridging to Anglo society. (Jeffries 2016)
Bibliography
Allbright and Mi Doh Htoo (2016). Interview. Praxis and Werribee Karen Baptist Church interns. Belgrave Heights, 18 March.
Chan, Samuel and Kim Chan (2016). Interview. Directors of Red – Pioneering Australian Born Asian Ministry in South Australia. Adelaide by Skype, 11 March.
Cronshaw, Darren and Stacey Wilson (2016). Growing the Seeds of Emergence: Leadership Development in the Baptist Union of Victoria. Cultural Diversity, Congregational Innovation, and Australian Baptist Churches. Edited by Darren Cronshaw and Darrell Jackson. Sydney, Morling Press. New Wineskins Volume 2.
Cronshaw, Darren, Stacey Wilson, Meewon Yang, also with Ner Dah, Si Khia, Arohn Kuung and Japheth Lian (2015). God Called Us Here for a Reason” … Karen and Chin Baptist Churches in Victoria: Mission from the Margins of a Diaspora Community. We Are Pilgrims: Mission from, in and with the Margins of Our Diverse World. Edited by Darren Cronshaw and Rosemary Dewerse. Melbourne, UNOH: 263-278.
Hei, Moo, Matt Moran, Marry, Jonathan Wilson and Mat Weller (2016). Interview. Croydon Hills Baptist Church Pastors and Interns. Croydon Hills, 16 March.
Jeffries, Tim (2016). Interview. Praxis Victoria Director. Belgrave Heights, 18 March.
Kung, Arohn (2016). Interview. Chin Baptist Church Pastor. Kings Park, 14 March.
Lewis, Rowan (2016). Personal Conversation. Whitley College Co-ordinator of NEXT Program. Belgrave Heights, 18 March.
Ngur, Za Tuah (2016). Interview. Australian Zotung Church at Sunshine Pastor. 14 March.
SiKhia (2016). Interview. Lautu-Chin Baptist Church Pastor. Sunshine, 14 March.
This article is part 8 of a 9 part series, drawing on a paper “Transforming Training for Next Gen Karen and Chin Leaders” to be presented at the Children, Youth and Mission Study Group at the Assembly of the International Association for Mission Studies, August 11–17, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea, and a longer version BUV background paper “Training Next Generation Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Baptist Leaders for Mission” to be published in Philip Hughes (ed). Changing Faith in the Australian Culture (Melbourne: CRA, forthcoming 2016). The research is part of a 2016 Collier Charitable Fund supported BUV project “Training Next Generation Multicultural Baptist Leaders”. As author, Darren appreciates conversations with LOTE Church leaders and BUV staff, and welcomes feedback to darren.cronshaw@buv.com.au
Source: BUV News
Made available for download and use in services or homegroups to encourage and inspire others.
We are hoping that it will become a regular pattern across our churches to record simple interviews on a smartphone whenever a person comes to faith or is baptised. In this way we celebrate new life together as a family of churches and the stories of faith encourage us all to renew our own story and grow in our confidence in sharing it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL__k-vrdt4]
A series of faith stories from NewHope Baptist Church are available on their website
Source: BUV News
(Training Next Gen Culturally Diverse Leaders Part 8)*
by Darren Cronshaw
Chin and Karen have appreciated lay leadership training and network meetings and multicultural pastors’ retreats hosted by BUV, and Whitley College’s Transformation program with its monthly Saturday Diploma classes for LOTE students. But there are also needs for informal training that is transformative for younger leaders. Whatever else is included in the ingredients of this kind of training, it needs to include training in local mission including understanding Australian culture and appropriate evangelism. (Cronshaw et al. 2015: 272-273, 277) Chin and Karen people have a strong sense of mission, but it is usually focused on supporting mission back in Myanmar or hosting weeklong gospel crusades with international guest speakers here in Australia. (Kung 2016) But many leaders are eager for their churches to grow in local mission in years to come, beyond just outreach to Chin and Karen migrants or supporting mission back in Burma. Rev Ronald Suah, pastor of Melbourne Mizo Church, said with a sense of destiny for local mission, “God has called us here for a reason”. (Cronshaw et al. 2015: 266)
BUV have been developing plans for Generation Y emerging leadership development across our churches. (Cronshaw and Wilson 2016) We identified that to grow Generation Y leaders requires: a culture of mission-focused leadership development focused; opportunities of apprenticeship of learning by doing; mentoring; an empowering and collaborative leadership model; including gender, age and cultural diversity; financially sustainable training and ministry; and reframing our definition of leadership. We need these frameworks and want to develop individual coaching and “communities of practice” group coaching for emerging leaders. Local churches will be invited to nominate prospective mentors and emerging leaders. BUV may pair 25-40 year old emerging leaders with mentors, and invite 15-25 year olds to participate in group coaching cohorts that combine input on mission and leadership with space for action-reflection on faith and ministry experience. These programs will cater for Anglo and other culturally diverse leaders.
Ongoing conversations with Karen and Chin leaders, including the interviews for this chapter, suggest that mentoring, learning communities and seminars would be valued, but an important place to start for training next generation leaders is to equip them for children’s and youth ministry. Chin churches can get Chin Sunday School resources from Burma and America, and Karen teachers can translate English or Burmese resources. But pastors say they need improvement in interactive and learner-centred teaching methods and locally contextualised content, and guidelines for Bible teaching, discipline and child psychology. (Hei et al. 2016; Ngur 2016; SiKhia 2016) Next generation leaders such as Allbright, Mi Doh and Marry say they need mentors and role models. They want to learn from what is happening successfully in churches of other cultures, and put into practice some of the activity based learning they have experienced with Praxis. They also commented that any training must be built on relationship and trust, so next generation leaders can learn who BUV is. (Allbright and Htoo 2016; Hei et al. 2016) A commonly favoured timeslot for this kind of learning community is Saturday mornings, including lunch so leaders and teachers can eat together. The focus could begin with children’s and youth ministry, but include faith formation in a next generation LOTE context and equipping for mission in Burmese and Australian cultures.
The need for ongoing conversation and mutual learning is underlined by the complexities of the issues involved. Rowan Lewis, Whitley College’s NEXT coordinator, reported that they have learned principles that guide NEXT faith formation are Western, and that Chin and Karen young adults also need to grow in owning their own faith, but the trajectory and process will likely be different to Anglo Australians. (Lewis 2016) Rev Moo Hei, Matt Moran and Marry at Croydon Hills are developing mission trips to liminal places Uluru and the Thai-Burma border so that young people of Karen and other cultures can explore their faith and identity in the context of mission and cultural difference. (Hei et al. 2016)
Sam Chan
Samuel Chan asserts that resources and training programs are a good start, but not enough for really influencing second generation Christians. Influence will come best from entering into the community and not just being another service deliverer that LOTE church parents deliver their children too, alongside music lessons and school. Chan urges entering into the life of second generation culture, really seeking to understand the young people and their experience, and tailoring training and mentoring and companionship to suit. It is the task of a good missionary even as we seek to cultivate the heart and skills of missionaries in Karen and Chin young people. (Chan and Chan 2016) From another perspective, it calls for high intercultural intelligence in teachers and mentors, an area that many of us may need more training in, even as we see to cultivate that intelligence in Karen and Chin communities in bridging to Anglo society. (Jeffries 2016)
Bibliography
Allbright and Mi Doh Htoo (2016). Interview. Praxis and Werribee Karen Baptist Church interns. Belgrave Heights, 18 March.
Chan, Samuel and Kim Chan (2016). Interview. Directors of Red – Pioneering Australian Born Asian Ministry in South Australia. Adelaide by Skype, 11 March.
Cronshaw, Darren and Stacey Wilson (2016). Growing the Seeds of Emergence: Leadership Development in the Baptist Union of Victoria. Cultural Diversity, Congregational Innovation, and Australian Baptist Churches. Edited by Darren Cronshaw and Darrell Jackson. Sydney, Morling Press. New Wineskins Volume 2.
Cronshaw, Darren, Stacey Wilson, Meewon Yang, also with Ner Dah, Si Khia, Arohn Kuung and Japheth Lian (2015). God Called Us Here for a Reason” … Karen and Chin Baptist Churches in Victoria: Mission from the Margins of a Diaspora Community. We Are Pilgrims: Mission from, in and with the Margins of Our Diverse World. Edited by Darren Cronshaw and Rosemary Dewerse. Melbourne, UNOH: 263-278.
Hei, Moo, Matt Moran, Marry, Jonathan Wilson and Mat Weller (2016). Interview. Croydon Hills Baptist Church Pastors and Interns. Croydon Hills, 16 March.
Jeffries, Tim (2016). Interview. Praxis Victoria Director. Belgrave Heights, 18 March.
Kung, Arohn (2016). Interview. Chin Baptist Church Pastor. Kings Park, 14 March.
Lewis, Rowan (2016). Personal Conversation. Whitley College Co-ordinator of NEXT Program. Belgrave Heights, 18 March.
Ngur, Za Tuah (2016). Interview. Australian Zotung Church at Sunshine Pastor. 14 March.
SiKhia (2016). Interview. Lautu-Chin Baptist Church Pastor. Sunshine, 14 March.
This article is part 8 of a 9 part series, drawing on a paper “Transforming Training for Next Gen Karen and Chin Leaders” to be presented at the Children, Youth and Mission Study Group at the Assembly of the International Association for Mission Studies, August 11–17, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea, and a longer version BUV background paper “Training Next Generation Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Baptist Leaders for Mission” to be published in Philip Hughes (ed). Changing Faith in the Australian Culture (Melbourne: CRA, forthcoming 2016). The research is part of a 2016 Collier Charitable Fund supported BUV project “Training Next Generation Multicultural Baptist Leaders”. As author, Darren appreciates conversations with LOTE Church leaders and BUV staff, and welcomes feedback to darren.cronshaw@buv.com.au
At the very least this NAIDOC week, why not help your church better understand more about our indigenous brothers and sisters and the importance of a Name?
Sacred Ground: Names and Places
(from Reconciliation Australia Newsletter)
A NAIDOC theme is ‘We all Stand on Sacred Ground.’ It highlights the connections Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to country. Across the world, the names we give a place can represent history, culture and identity.
To celebrate the NAIDOC theme, we’re reflecting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place names that have been part of Australia for thousands of years, and asking ‘what’s in a name?’
Did you know?
The name ‘Canberra’ came from a local Aboriginal name for the area. It was first recorded as ‘Kamberra’ or ‘Kambery’, and then named Canberra in 1913 when it became the capital.
Tasmania has dual named a number of natural features like kanamaluka / River Tamar and truwana / Cape Barren Island.
Since 1992 naming authorities have been encouraged by governments to use Aboriginal place names to acknowledge their importance.
Bennelong Point, the site of Sydney Opera House was known as ‘Dubbagullee’ by local Aboriginal people.
In the 1970s the Yolngu people responded to the arrival of English road signs by stating “This place already has a name”.
Take action
Learn some of the stories and traditional names of the sacred ground you live on.
Find out the meaning of dual named places in your area and their significance.
Contact your local council to see what their policy is on dual names.
Find out if there are any dual naming movements happening in your area.
Campaign for the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander names of significant landmarks in your community to be recognised.
Participate in the annual NAIDOC week activities around the country.
Reconciliation Australia would like to thank the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping for their assistance in developing this factsheet.
How can we as Baptist in habitants of the places we live, worship and work, be more aware of the historical, social and cultural significance of names?
Committee of Geographical Names Australasia (CGNA) http://www.icsm.gov.au/cgna/
Source: BUV News
NAIDOC Week – What’s your Church Doing or Learning?
At the very least this NAIDOC week, why not help your church better understand more about our indigenous brothers and sisters and the importance of a Name?
(from Reconciliation Australia Newsletter)
A NAIDOC theme is ‘We all Stand on Sacred Ground.’ It highlights the connections Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to country. Across the world, the names we give a place can represent history, culture and identity.
To celebrate the NAIDOC theme, we’re reflecting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place names that have been part of Australia for thousands of years, and asking ‘what’s in a name?’
The name ‘Canberra’ came from a local Aboriginal name for the area. It was first recorded as 'Kamberra' or 'Kambery', and then named Canberra in 1913 when it became the capital.
Tasmania has dual named a number of natural features like kanamaluka / River Tamar and truwana / Cape Barren Island.
Since 1992 naming authorities have been encouraged by governments to use Aboriginal place names to acknowledge their importance.
Bennelong Point, the site of Sydney Opera House was known as ‘Dubbagullee’ by local Aboriginal people.
In the 1970s the Yolngu people responded to the arrival of English road signs by stating “This place already has a name”.
Learn some of the stories and traditional names of the sacred ground you live on.
Find out the meaning of dual named places in your area and their significance.
Contact your local council to see what their policy is on dual names.
Find out if there are any dual naming movements happening in your area.
Campaign for the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander names of significant landmarks in your community to be recognised.
Participate in the annual NAIDOC week activities around the country.
Reconciliation Australia would like to thank the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping for their assistance in developing this factsheet.
How can we as Baptist in habitants of the places we live, worship and work, be more aware of the historical, social and cultural significance of names?
