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AROUND THE CHURCHES
Rockhampton
Global Youth Day On
Rocky Ground
Sabbath March
16, was Global
Youth Day—a
day which saw
some of our Rockhampton
Youth
go out into the
community and
participate in acts
of kindness. In the
morning, small
groups went
to three elderly ladies’ homes in order
to celebrate Sabbath school and church
with them. The groups enjoyed a morning
together singing,
reading,
discussing
and sharing.
It was
a rewarding
time for both
young and
old!
Springwood
Samoan
Take Our Word For It, His
Word Is The Last Word
On Everything!
Preaching is one of the unique Spiritual
gifts God has given to the church
through some of its members. South
Queensland Conference’s main emphasis
for this year is to focus on Growing
Healthy Churches. Part of this includes
equipping and empowering leaders
through training. Training that will not
only teach how to FISH for the people,
but also how to FEED the flock through
the preaching and sharing of His Word.
Recently, five new lay preachers from
Springwood Samoan Seventh-day Adventist
Church completed a two-week intensive
training course of how to preach
the Word with integrity.
The church is also currently undertaking
Leadership Training in all areas of
ministry and church-life. Key leaders in
the church continue to provide strong
and keen support for the program, they
love every session. It is during these
training sessions that attendees are given
ample opportunity to discuss church leadership
and ministry issues which often
are considered inappropriate to discuss
at church on Sabbath. These sessions
provide a safe place to dialogue and discuss
and grow together as leaders and
as a church.
Esk
As For Me and My
Family. . .
Pastor Dana Howard, Youth Director
for the Northern Australian Conference,
led his nephew, Caleb Dorrington,
youngest son of Peter and Narelle, into
the cool waters of Logan’s Inlet, Wivenhoe
Dam, when Caleb made a public
confession of his desire to consecrate his
young life to the Master. The large crowd
of family and friends–some of whom had
travelled great distances to honour the
event,—showed the high esteem in which
Caleb and his family are held. All are
members of the Esk Church.
—Beryl Dorrington
Springwood
A Spring In The Step at
Springwood Church!
Sarah Pitman
had never
heard of “Big
Camps” but
was invited by
a friend last
year to attend
our Watson
Park “Big Camp” convention. There she felt
convicted to know more about God. At the
last baptism service held at Springwood
Church, she decided to fill in a card indicating
she would be interested in taking
Bible studies. Since that time she has been
taking studies with one of Springwood’s
assistant pastors, Kara Dale.
Sarah has accepted Jesus Christ as
her personal Saviour and has set the
date of her baptism April 27 God bless,
Sarah!
Sam
Talei grew
up in an
Adventist
home in
Fiji, but
was soon
attracted
to the
things of the world. He is so happy to
have found the Lord again and he now
counts Springwood Seventh-day
Adventist Church as his spiritual home.
Charmaine Talei went to Fiji for two
months of work. One day as she was
carrying her heavy travel bags, she
heard a Fijian voice behind her saying
something she didn’t understand. She
didn’t think it was directed at her, so
she kept walking and the voice called
out again. It was a stranger named
Samuela, asking her if she wanted help
with her bags. She did. She extended
her stay in Fiji from two months to 12
months, and now they are happily
married. Charmaine grew up in a
Christian home, but is so excited that
she has found the Adventist church and
its emphasis on the Bible and the
Sabbath. Sam and Charmaine have
been studying with Rob and Sue Belosev
and will also be baptised in special
combined service on April 27.
About
six to eight
months
ago, Sam
and Selena
Atoera rang
Pastor Travis
and asked if they could do Bible studies
with him. Travis met with them at church
the following week and suggested that
instead of doing studies with a pastor,
perhaps they could join in with Sam and
Charmaine Talei as they were about to
begin their Bible studies at Rob and Sue
Belosev’s place.
That’s precisely what happened, and
these two couples have become very
good friends. Sam and Selena knew
about church when they were younger
(in fact Sam’s dad was the head elder
in the first church that Pastor Travis was
a pastor of!), but they never really made
a commitment to Jesus or the church and
strayed away. Now they are so glad
that they have found Jesus, and on April
27 they will demonstrate their love for
Him by being baptised.
April 2013 | 9
Focus |