Random thoughts of a fellow traveller
I’ve just finished reading the book In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare winner of the 2007 Tasmanian Book Prize. Hailed by some as a “brilliant account of 200 years of Tasmanian history” and others as “a limp, reticent tour guide,” Shakespeare’s rambling portrait spans the transformation of Van Diemen’s Land, the epitome of hell on earth …
Earlier this month Olive Tree Media, led by Karl Faase pastor of Gymea Baptist in Sydney, launched the results from their Australian Communities Report conducted by McCrindle Research. The aim of the research was to discover what Australians really think of Christian faith, Christians and the Church. It found that “Church abuse” is the number one obstacle to …
Continue reading “Top Ten Obstacles to Becoming a Christian”
Since the beginning of European settlement in Australia in 1788, the church has played a major part in Australian life and culture. Church services began as soon as the First Fleet arrived and gradually churches grew including the provision of a wide range of welfare and education services such as schools, hospitals and orphanages. Today …
Continue reading “The Church of Australia and its Challenge”
Last weekend, as part of 2020 Vision of the Baptist Churches of Hobart, Grant Morrison from the Hunter District (Newcastle region, NSW) led a training workshop in church planting and evangelism. Grant is involved with the Baptist churches of the Hunter region and their vision is to grow to 100 healthy churches by 2030. This …
Continue reading “How Does Your Church Garden Grow? By planting of course!”
The Australian outback is often described as harsh and unforgiving. Many Christians would claim these words not only describe our land but also our spiritual environment. Recently an acquaintance commented how friends of hers, newly emigrated from South Africa, were amazed at how ‘uncool’ it is to be a Christian in Australia and, further, how …
Continue reading “The Aussie Church – Can we survive our hostile enviroment?”