Katherine
Meeting in the SDA Community Centre the.Baptist Service was led by lay people while they seek a new minister. The music was good, the children catered for and the message interesting, even if it was on a very familiar passage.
Where visitors and locals were present in equal numbers (school holidays), coffee gave us a chance to chat to one of the locals who has been working with indigenous people for 17 years. One question...how has the intervention affected your work? Answer.. ..It has set us back at least ten years. Seems that federal bureaucracy and public perception decreed that something significant should be done about the deplorable state of indigenous health. The One Size Fits All approach was adopted, and now despite massive expenditure little has changed and local indigenous leaders have been disempowered. When will we learn.Palmerston
Officers (ministers) in their first church have discovered that theory and practice are different animals. It was good to see them interact with their people as they seek to grow the kingdom and their church. For so many in the evangelical tradition the tension between being church and growing as a church is always strong.
Darwin
One Sunday morning each months given over to the African members of the Salvo Corps. It was great to be there on that Sunday to hear the singing, listen to the testimonies and learn of the challenges that refugees and migrants from Africa are facing even in our prosperous land. The cultural issues are huge, and even prosperity causes problems!
Katherine Take 2
This was our first Sunday evening worship since leaving Melbourne in February. We met at a private home and shared a delightful fellowship meal after worship. In this small group gathering under the banner of The Salvation Army we knew no-one, yet were connected to five of the ten through people we knew well. The worship service was simple, straightforward and personal. It was good to be there -and I continue to reflect on the cry of the disciples 'Lord. save us' (Matt 8:25). Here they recognised that Jesus was able to save them. On that occasion he saved them from physical death. They needed saving for they had no hope otherwise. What is it that causes us to cry out 'save us', and to whom do we call?
Kunnunurra
We left the Territory and crossed into WA. The first weekend we arrived and shared with the combined Anglican/Uniting congregation.
There I was impressed with the kingdom perspective that sought to embrace all. Efforts to connect beyond the congregation and community were evident in a 'travel talk' to which all visitors/caravanners/travellers were invited. It was a good idea, but did need a time limit!
Next weekend we shared at the Salvos on the Saturday night. The service included a few indigenous folks, and is one of the first congregations in this part of the world where indigenous
Derbe
The Peoples Church was our choice as the only obvious alternative seemed to be the Catholic service. It was refreshing to see many indigenous folk as part of the congregation, and as participants in the leading of worship. A mission focused on indigenous communities explains why there were many aboriginal families in worship. One of the local doctors was also present. Coming from Zimbabwe a contract to work in Derbe opened up new possibilities. While it was a good opportunity Broome had since become the regional hub...and Derbe's facilities , were downgraded that change. Logistically the change made sense, but not everyone gains with change. The Derbe area no longer has easy access to specialists, and the development of the doctors in Derbe has been out on hold as they lack the supervisors for the upgrading of their skills.
Broome
We were almost a week in Broome and did call at the Uniting Church Op Shop on the Saturday. It was close to our caravan park and the folks were friendly. It seemed a good place to worship the next day. As we approached the church next morning it dawned on us the we should have checked the noticeboard before the event. 9.55 a.m. is a little late to arrive at a service scheduled for 9.00 o'clock. Ooops!
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