Justice Month @ SBC

November has been our Justice Month when we’ve been looking at God’s heart towards people in need in our community, nation and around the world and how we as His people should respond.  Sundays @ SBC

Curry for a Cause

On November 12 over 100 people gathered together at the Stanthorpe Baptist Church to enjoy an Indian meal to raise funds for a school for slum children in India. The school in Bangalore provides an education and a daily meal for hundreds of children who attend the Yuvelok Programme. Each meal costs approximately 10 cents. “It was great to think in one night we could come to together and raise the funds for 22,500 meals” says Pastor Darryl Peters who was one of the hosts for the night.

Diners also joined in a game of Who Wants to Be a Slum Dog Millionaire answering trivia questions about India as well well as a game of Spicks and Specks based on Bollywood style music clips.

Co-host, Ewen Macpherson shared his first-hand experiences of visiting the Yuvalok programmes and the quality and compassionate services they provide to some of the world’s neediest children. Ewen remarked that “This school gives the children of the slums not only food, but an education to enable them to have a future of hope. They are a bright light in the middle of such darkness.”

Church volunteers prepared a three course meal of Indian dips and a variety of curries and a dessert of honeyed yogurt with pomegranate. Meals were served and the many dishes washed by members of the church youth group. Sunday schoolers had made Christmas cards on sale on the evening with sales going towards the school.  Chilli plants were also available for sale so diners could make their own curries at home.

“Coming together as a community for a cause is a wonderful experience. To focus on the needs of others as we approach Christmas is so grounding”, explained Pastor Darryl. The night was part of the church’s focus on justice for the month of November. For more information on Yuvalok see www.yuvalok.org.

Welcome Joshua Zachary Williams

At 2:35am on 21 July 2010, Joshua Zachary Williams weighing 6lb 10oz arrived into the family of Jason and Lorna.

Translating the Bible for a Saharan people group

Gillard won’t play religion card

From ABC News Website: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/29/2939879.htm 29/06/10

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has no intention of pretending to believe in God to attract religiously-inclined voters. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was a regular at Canberra church services and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is known as a devout Catholic.

In contrast, Ms Gillard says that while she greatly respects other people’s religious views, she does not believe in God. “I am not going to pretend a faith I don’t feel,” she said. “I am what I am and people will judge that. “For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine.”

“I grew up in the Christian church, a Christian background. I won prizes for catechism, for being able to remember Bible verses. I am steeped in that tradition, but I’ve made decisions in my adult life about my own views.

“I’m worried about the national interest. About doing the right thing by Australians. And I’ll allow people to form their own views about whatever is going to drive their views. “What I can say to Australians broadly of course is I believe you can be a person of strong principle and values from a variety of perspectives.”

So what role should religion play in politics?

Is it better to have a politician who openly declares they do not believe in God to one who claims they do but behaves in a way inconsistent with Christian views?