1. WESLEY PLANS CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR KIDS (Worldwide Photos)

2. BCA DROUGHT AID UPDATE (Bush Church Aid News)

3. PROGRAM FOR DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES (Mission Australia)

4. ADVENT DROUGHT LITURGY (Insights)

5. RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO WALK FOR PEACE (Insights)

6. CPE PASTOR ACHIEVES A LUTHERAN FIRST (The Lutheran)

OVERSEAS:

7. ETHIOPIA STILL NEEDS OUR HELP (Church Times)

8. CYCLING NZ COUNTRY FOR PERSECUTED CHURCH (Challenge Weekly)

9. BAPTIST CHURCHES OF PAPUA CONGRESS (Global interAction)

10. ADMINISTRATOR FOR MIN BAPTIST UNION IN PNG (Global interAction)

11. THE CHILDHOOD PATH TO ADULT CRIME (Challenge Weekly)

12. THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (Challenge Weekly)

13. CHALLENGING THE BINGE-DRINKERS (Christian Herald)

14. BIBLE BELTS TIGHTENED (Christian Herald)

15. DOWN WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Baptist Press)

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1. WESLEY PLANS CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR KIDS (Worldwide Photos) Sharon Hoogland, the Group Manager Strategic Planning & Development of Wesley Mission, Sydney, reports that Wesley Mission will be giving Christmas gifts to drought affected children. She commented that they are planning to do a delivery to the Werris Creek and the Nundle public schools. They have also received a letter asking for their assistance from Cobar – and they are planning to respond positively to that too. Sharon said: “In addition we are also intending to give gifts to the Aboriginal communities near Nambucca Heads – Bowraville and Belwood. We’ve been working with those communities for some time now, through our Wesley Uniting Employment Centre at Nambucca.”

2. BCA DROUGHT AID UPDATE (Bush Church Aid News) Now in its second month the Bush Church Aid Society’s DROUGHT AID program continues to address the drought stricken farmer’s first need – to relieve them of their distress by providing a ‘listening ear’ and practical assistance on their properties through the “BCA Nomads”, a group of volunteers who travel at their own expense to BCA mission areas to provide practical help to the Field Staff. BCA has been able to deliver stock fodder or molasses to Lightning Ridge, Winton, Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Broken Hill, Menindee and Tibooburra and will continue to do so, as donations permit, into areas where BCA has personnel ready to encourage the farmers and address their emotional and spiritual needs. The National Director, Brian Roberts said: “The worst effects of this drought will not be seen until February or March, 2003 and even if it rained now, it takes time for grass to grow.” For information contact the BCA on (02) 9262 5017.

3. PROGRAM FOR DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES (Mission Australia) Mission Australia’s Patrick McClure, used World Children’s Day, November 20, to call for the introduction of a national early intervention program to assist disadvantaged families and help tackle child poverty and social isolation. Mr McClure said “Mission Australia already operates an early intervention program in Brisbane but, of course, one is not enough. “On World Children’s Day, I encourage the Commonwealth to seriously consider the introduction of a national early intervention program to assist disadvantaged families and children.”

4. ADVENT DROUGHT LITURGY (Insights) The people of South Sydney Uniting Church have written an Advent liturgy for all those who are suffering in the drought. “We are a small congregation in the heart of one of the more struggling places in the city of Sydney,” said a spokesman. “We have few resources to offer to our sisters and brothers in other struggling places, but we would like to give you a specially written Advent liturgy as a sign of our sharing of life with you. We would also like to receive stories about life in the drought. These stories would be read in our church services and, if suitable we would print some of them in our local newspaper, The South Sydney Herald, which is the only local paper for most of South Sydney (Redfern, Waterloo and other suburbs) and is distributed free to 14,000 households each month by community volunteers.” For more information phone Vladimir Korotkov on (02) 8399 4310.

5. RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO WALK FOR PEACE (Insights) Leaders from the Catholic, Muslim, Anglican, Uniting and other religious communities have come out in support of the November 30 Walk Against the War. The Walk Against the War, which draws together people opposed to a war against Iraq and any Australian involvement in it, is part of a national weekend of action with rallies planned for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Taree and other cities and towns across Australia. The Sydney Walk will end in the Domain with speeches by Bishop Power, Judy Davis, John Pilger, Sheikh Al-hilali, Iraqi Migrants Council President Kassim Abood, Medical Association for the Prevention of War President Dr Sue Wareham, ACTU President Sharan Burrow, and Rawan Abdul Nabi from the Palestinian community.

6. CPE PASTOR ACHIEVES A LUTHERAN FIRST (The Lutheran) Pastor David Larsen, of St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Nundah, Queensland, has attained a Level 2 accreditation in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) – the first Lutheran pastor to achieve this level in Australia. CPE focuses on developing pastoral skills through peer supervision. Participants are trained to listen to, and empathise with persons needing help. Once their “hurt has been heard”, it can be addressed in a Christian way. Pastor Larsen has trained counsellors from the Lutheran Church as well as from the Anglican, Catholic, Uniting, Baptist and other churches.

7. ETHIOPIA STILL NEEDS OUR HELP (Church Times) Rachel Harden reports in the Church Times, in London, that Christian relief agencies continued to call for help for Ethiopia this week saying that up to 15 million people face starvation, despite the announcement by the international development secretary, Clare Short, that Southern Africa was suffering “a much more dangerous situation – the country’s long-term needs.” A Christian Aid spokesman, Andrew Pendleton, admitted that there was “a long-term failure to tackle endemic poverty” in Ethiopia, but, he said, more than 14 million people are facing starvation. The current drought in the country means that the 30 million people who are termed as chronically poor have nothing to fall back on without rainwater, as they live in rural areas and are reliant on the land, he said. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, made an appeal for help at the beginning of the week, saying that the number now needing help was two to three times bigger than in the 1980s. A spokesman for World Vision said: “In a sense, the publicity this week is a boost, as it makes people more aware of the current situation, but there is also a tremendous need to look at the long-term situation.”

8. CYCLING NZ COUNTRY FOR PERSECUTED CHURCH (Challenge Weekly) Open Doors in New Zealand are at it again. They are using extreme adventures to raise awareness and money for persecuted Christians around the world. If sea kayaking across the Hauraki Gulf and mountain biking through the Tongariro National Park weren’t enough, they are now going to take up the challenge of cycling the length of NZ. Starting at Cape Reinga in the North on January 17, the ‘Narrow Road’ cycle tour will include 33 stages covering 2900kms and will last 37 days, before finishing at Bluff on February 22. The challenging event aims to raise $50,000 which will help supply bicycles and motor bikes to Christian leaders and workers in Ethiopia and Southern Sudan where the church is under extreme persecution.

9. BAPTIST CHURCHES OF PAPUA CONGRESS (Global interAction) The Fellowship of Baptist Churches in Papua (Irian Jaya) is holding its quadrennial congress this week, during which the election of officers will take place. According to a report from Global interAction (formerly the Australian Baptist Missionary Society), the Congress will be a special time of worship, fellowship and growth for all people who attend.

10. ADMINISTRATOR FOR MIN BAPTIST UNION IN PNG (Global interAction) In Papua New Guinea, the Min Baptist Union has elected and commissioned their new leaders. The church is praying that with the new leadership will come a refreshing of the Min churches and revival amongst the Min people. Pastor Yanga, of the Telefomin church, has with some reluctance taken up the role of Administrator. Though highly respected by his colleagues, he is feeling overwhelmed, saying, “I am just the pastor of a church. I do not know about administration.” In taking up this position, Pastor Yanga will probably need to conclude his pastoral work with the Telefomin church. This has implications for housing and other family issues. A report from Global interAction (formerly the Australian Baptist Missionary Society), says: “Please pray for Pastor Yanga, the Min Baptist Churches as a whole and the Telefomin Baptist Church.”

11. THE CHILDHOOD PATH TO ADULT CRIME (Challenge Weekly) Police statistics for apprehension of child criminals are on the rise in New Zealand. More than 12,000 children, aged 13 and under, were apprehended by police for committing offences in the year to June 30. Of those, 1,522 were aged nine years and under, with 39 per cent classified as Caucasian, 52 per cent Maori and 5 per cent Pacific Islanders. Altogether 44,000 offences resulting in police apprehensions were committed by children aged 16 years and under, compared with 156,000 for adults aged 17 years and above. This means that children are responsible for almost 22 per cent of all police apprehensions. MP Dr Muriel Newman explains that since children are not culpable for offences under Sections 21 and 22 of the Crimes Act and police often take other action rather than apprehension, the 44,000 offences committed by children are just the tip of the iceberg. On average, youth criminals commit ten offences before a prison sentence is imposed.

12. THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (Challenge Weekly) The Crazy Christmas Kids Show will spring out of radios all across New Zealand, thanks to Christians. For the last five years, Christian Broadcasters Association has broadcast 12-hour Christmas Day specials on NewstalkZB and the popular nation-wide Radio Sport network. The hosts of the breakfast Kids Show, will be television presenter Petra Bagust of “Hot Property” and “Travel.co.nz”, and Pat Brittenden who along with radio announcing, is a primary school teacher and theatre sports actor.

13. CHALLENGING THE BINGE-DRINKERS (Christian Herald) As the Queen’s Speech revealed Government proposals for a relaxation in pub licensing hours, the Methodist Church in the United Kingdom, said any change would not alter today’s ‘alcohol culture’. The Church’s secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs, Rachel Lampard, commented: “The Government argues that relaxing opening hours will reduce the amount of anti-social behaviour associated with closing time drinking. More welcome is the promise to introduce measures to reduce anti-social behaviour in pubs.”

14. BIBLE BELTS TIGHTENED (Christian Herald) Downturn in investment income following a stock market slump has led to increasing cash-flow problems for churches and Christian organisations, forcing many to cut back on staff and social programmes. Dipping into reserves is commonplace, but it is not enough for some ministries – including drug education and prevention charity Hope UK The former Band of Hope has launched a  £75,000 appeal (AUD211,904; USD118,353) to save its drug and other addiction programmes.

15. DOWN WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Baptist Press) Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has 30 days to remove a 5,300-pound granite monument of the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the state judicial building, after a federal judge ruled the monument violates the constitution’s ban on government promotion of religion. In a ruling handed down Nov. 18, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson said he does not believe all Ten Commandments displays in government buildings are illegal, but that the monument in the judicial building crosses the line “between the permissible and the impermissible.” The monument features the King James Bible version of the Ten Commandments sitting on top of a granite block. Around the monument are quotes from historical figures and documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, but critics contend the commandments dominate.

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