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Around the Churches<br />
Carols at the Oberon Club<br />
Oberon<br />
On Sunday evening 11 December 2016, the clinking of<br />
poker machines was drowned by the singing of Carols at<br />
the Oberon Christmas Carols program organised by the local<br />
Adventist church.<br />
The program featured local Adventist group SurrenDA and<br />
Annali Bird from Lithgow. Oberon boy Kurt Booth, local school<br />
choirs, and folks from other churches sang or acted in the<br />
Christmas pageant.<br />
By including and focusing on local people, the program drew<br />
a large and loyal crowd.<br />
Pr. Toogood was delighted to arrive in Oberon and discover<br />
his new church already practices what he used to do. He said<br />
“featuring the community in Adventist productions sends two<br />
powerful messages, first we aren’t the best or the only talent,<br />
and second, that we need you”. It is a little like the approach of<br />
Jesus asking the woman at the well for a cup of cold water, in<br />
musical terms.<br />
Oberon Adventist group SurrenDA lead the<br />
Christmas Carols<br />
The first planning meeting for a <strong>2017</strong> Easter Pageant led by<br />
Oberon Adventist church was held Valentine’s day evening on<br />
14 February.<br />
- James Toogood<br />
Baptism<br />
Southern Illawarra<br />
Two Oberon Youth and an elder from the<br />
Pentecoastal church as wise men<br />
On 31st December 2016, a glorious summer day, over fifty people<br />
gathered at a park on the bank of the beautiful Minnamurra River at<br />
Kiama Downs. We had come for the baptism of two ladies of the Southern<br />
Illawarra Church.<br />
Teenager Danielle Fleming, on a previous stay at Jet Camp had been the<br />
first to respond when the invitation to prepare for baptism had been given.<br />
Danielle has been a regular attender at church for some years, and has been<br />
looking forward to this big day, to committing herself to following Jesus<br />
forever.<br />
Pr. Tony Moala with Sunny and Sui (back row) and<br />
Daniella, Danielle & Irene (front row)<br />
Sun Young Tak, whom we call Sunny, being convicted by the bible to keep<br />
Sabbath, left her Sunday keeping church to look for a Sabbath keeping one,<br />
and arrived one day at our morning service. Sunny is a very keen bible student<br />
and she and Pastor Tony Moala have had some much extended bible studies<br />
with many questions and answers.<br />
Sunny’s family came all the way from Korea to spend Christmas with her and witness her baptism. Our guitarists and singers led<br />
us all in singing praises to our Saviour as we sat in the shade of the tall trees. Pastor Tony then spoke of the meaning and need for<br />
baptism before he and the two candidates went down into the river at a little sandy beach.<br />
Following Danielle and Sunny’s baptism, Pastor Tony, still standing in the water felt a burden that somebody else wished to be<br />
baptised, and invited whoever wished to take advantage of the situation and come down to him. Three people responded: Irene<br />
Stewart, Daniella Lee and Siu Churches, a friend of Sunny’s. All were baptised with great rejoicing by us all.<br />
Cards and flowers were given out and we all enjoyed a picnic lunch and an extended time of friendship and fellowship. What a<br />
wonderful and fruitful day it had been!<br />
- Helen Blake
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