Up the Duff

Well, it's been a while since I posted anything, but I am delighted to announce I am "with child"!

I am about 7 weeks pregnant and am over all this morning sickness, bleeding, blood tests, doctor's visits and hospital emergency waiting rooms.

Never mind. Joy comes through hardship, does it not? :)

2 weeks to go!!

Sorry I've been gone for a while!!  It has been rather hectic of late - but I finish my degree: Bachelor of Ministry in less than 2 weeks!!  

It has been a journey of six years of study, and probably just a long leading up to the commencement of the study.  I have grown, stretched, broken, re-formed, puzzled, dreamed, been inspired, seen, heard, learned, laughed, cried, befriended, been touched, pondered, mused, cooked, married, eaten, withheld, discovered, emerged...

Thank you to all that have supported me, taught me, rebuked me, heard me, loved me...

:) Jen

Prince Caspian

I was delighted to go to the openning night of Prince Capsian last night!



A diehard fan of the The Chronicles of Narnia, I have been waiting for this since the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Prince Capsian is my favourite fo all the books, with the Horse and his Boy and close second. I love the faith of Lucy. And this movie certainly lived up to her faith, wisdom and vision... so delighted that they included the trees!! (That was a bit beyond the 1980s BBC versions technical abilities back then).

Without giving anything away (beyond the story line we all know well from the book) it is very important to take the blatant warnings, "Everything you know about Narnia is about the change"... so keep that in mind and you won't be disappointed.

There are still C.S.Lewis-nesses throughout the dialogue which are wonderful, especially spoken by Lucy and Susan.

Overall, I'll rate this 4 stars. I enjoyed it and I'll buy it.

Great blog/article on Woman in Ministry

Rod Benson from the Tinsley Institute this month wrote an article in his Speaking Ethically column in the Victorian Baptist Witness magazine. For April, the whole Witness was dedicated to Women in Ministry in Victorian Baptist churches and ministries. It is such a great read!!!

The article is in a blog: http://speaking-ethically.blogspot.com/2008/03/april-2008-by-rod-benson-australia-has.html

Rod made reference to this article in a comment to one of my posts below, and I just had to highlight it!

I made some comment, and I hope you do too (I love discussions!). Comments are screened, so won't appear straight away, so keep your eye on it.

The April copy of Witness is available here: http://www.buv.com.au/AboutUs/News/AprilWitnessAvailableNow!.aspx

If only the Vicar of Dibley had kids!

Been watching the Vicar of Dibley again on Sunday nights. I turned to David during an episode and said, "If only the Vicar of Dibley had kids!"

Don't know if I should use her as a role model - but she sure is fun!

No, no, no, no, no, no, yes!

What does a female minister with young children look like?

Since meeting with the Leadership at church I have been thinking through there ideas. The one that struck me most was that we may end up in pastoral ministry prior to our overseas cross-cultural ministry. I suddenly thought, "What does a female minister with a young family look like?"

If, God willing, we start a family soon, we would have small munchkins and possible be still popping them out while pastoring a church. I know there are a few around, but I haven't met or observed how a female minister with a family operates.

I am the type that all my adult life I have been observing married couples to learn about marriage, observing parents to learn about raising kids, asking missionaries a million questions to learn about life (family and ministry) overseas, and supporting ordination candidates through the process. But I have never had that opportunity with female ministers with kids (small or grown up).

I have shared this with a couple of people and there are some female friends in that very position who they recommend I grab a coffee with. Yeah!!

Ordination Part 4

Here is the latest on my possible path to ordination:

I went to see Frank Rees (Principal, Whitley College) who is on the ordination panal here in Victoria, a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to know a little bit more about the process down here and also introduce myself before process started. It was a very encouraging chat and he suggested I speak to Mark Holt (State Director, Global Interaction) because of our plans for Africa, as this will affect the ordination process. Also, he suggested I meet with the Leadership at church, as it is the local church that recommends someone for ordination, not an individual who decides for themself.

Fortunately the next week was the Leadership monthly meeting, so I asked to come along and I shared my felt calling. I asked them to pray about it and if they felt it was time to recommend me, if they would, or if they felt I should not proceed at the moment or work on somethings, they would let me know. They agreed to pray about it and were very encouraging. A few things came out of this:

1. They asked me to chat with David how he felt about being a "pastor's husband" and how he would feel moving around in different placements - with his own teaching career. We had a good chat about these and he is fine with both.
2. They also suggested that I may go through the process and not be recommended for ordination at the end of it. I have thought through this prior and I feel that God is calling me to the process and it would be hugely beneficial and refining in itself. I can never predict what doors of opportunity God will open or shut!
3. There was also the suggestion that I may end up in pastoral ministry before we end up in Africa as missionaries. They was not something I had thought of before!

I am really looking forward to hearing from them if the church will recommend me ofr ordination (after the Leadership, it will go to a church meeting).

Ordination? Part 3

Thought I would update you on thoughts from last week's discernment process...

I am feeling much more settled with the decision by the BUV regarding being interviewed in May. I would like to go see Frank Rees at Whitley this year to talk about how my ordination process would look, seeings I have most of my study under my belt, and that I am moving into mission rather than pastoring. I feel this would be helpful in planning out my study and also in developing a friendship with Frank.

During the discernment week, thoughts on timing of children emerged, as well as the story of Esther. It would be great if you could offer further insight into these from your prayer time on my ordination, as I am still a little unsure about these.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

Baptist Media Release on Poverty and Politics

I was very encouraged when I read this today...





"Baptist Union of Australia MEDIA RELEASE


For immediate release

4 November 2007

Foreign aid a key moral issue for Australia

Foreign aid is a significant moral issue and this should be reflected in real increases in Australia’s foreign aid budget, the President of the Baptist Union of Australia, Rev Dr Ross Clifford, said today.

Baptists are often portrayed as focused only about issues related to sexuality and the beginning and end of life. The reality is that Baptists are deeply concerned and active on dozens of social and ethical issues, and eliminating poverty through aid and development programs is one of the most important.

Young people especially are committed to action to alleviate poverty. Morling College, the NSW Baptist seminary, recently held a highly successful Fair Trade Fair to raise awareness of fair trade issues and offer solutions for consumers. The most strategic and ambitious anti-poverty measure endorsed by Australian Baptists is Micah Challenge which sets the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in a Christian framework.

There is strong Baptist support for Micah Challenge and the Make Poverty History campaign aimed at halving global poverty by 2015, Dr Clifford said.

Alleviating poverty in the world’s poorest regions literally saves lives and ends terrible human suffering. But this is not a political issue but a moral and humanitarian issue. Foreign aid targets should be ambitious and attract bipartisan support. Australia can afford to increase foreign aid well beyond the current level of 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income.

I welcome the personal interest taken by Mr Howard and Mr Rudd in increasing foreign aid. Mr Howard has already met with Micah Challenge spokespersons, including Rev Tim Costello, and Mr Rudd has agreed to increase foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI.

There is strong community support for Australia increase foreign aid. I call on all federal political parties to commit to raising foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015. In particular I urge Mr Howard and Mr Rudd to agree on this ambitious but socially responsible goal in the lead-up to the November 24 election.

Developed countries have committed to increasing overseas aid to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015, but Australia has reached only about half that figure. It is estimated that when Australia reaches 0.7 per cent of GNI there would be 70,000 less child deaths each year and 15,000 fewer AIDS deaths each year, and 100,000 more children receiving basic education.

I call on Australian Baptists to support Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History, and to pray earnestly that God will give our national leaders the necessary courage and wisdom to bring lasting justice to the world’s poorest people and rescue them from a vicious cycle of poverty, misery and hopelessness.

We have a moral responsibility to use the abundant resources God gives us to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Increasing Australian foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015 is achievable. It is within our power to do this. The time to act is now. Mr Howard and Mr Rudd: commit to raising foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015.

ENDS

Media contacts: Ross Clifford 0417 685 201 or Rod Benson 0412 421 678"

Ordination? Part 2

I had a phone call today from the BUV saying that I was unable to get an interview this year, so have put me down for the May interviews, so I can start in 2009.

Feeling a little frustrated and disappointed.

Will continue in this week of discernment though before I decide whether to ring or meet with one of the interviewers, the Principal of the Baptist College down here, to discuss my ordination with him.

I will keep praying for: (1) guidance in timing; (2) doors openning if the time is now; and (c) protection.

Ordination?

As mentioned in my post on my Emmaus Walk below, I am feeling it is time to start the process of being ordained. At Emmaus I felt that as God is setting me aside for full time ministry as a missionary, that I actually go through the process of officially getting set aside for fulltime ministry, that is, ordination.

This first was put on my heart in my early years of college, but at the time I was happy to do it, to give credence to my work, being a women, and planning on church planting. I know that that is not a good enough reason, and I know also that I was not up to the process time-wise yet, as in NSW you don't start exploring the ordination option until your 3 rd or 4th year of College (down here the process starts much earlier). By then, I knew I was headed south anyway.

It seems God was placing the idea on my heart at that time, even though I wasn't ready. Actually, to remember back even further, I remember considering the idea when I was in high school, and also enquired officially back about 10 years ago when I was at Uni studying teaching – but at that time they told me no women were ordained/became ministers in the Baptist Church in NSW.

Anyway, times have changed and I have changed. I had resolved that if God wanted me ordained then I would probably go for it after we got back from the mission field, but now it seems God has other plans.

To get to the point, I was wondering if you would pray with me over this next week about whether I should pursue this option now.

I rang the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV) last Friday, to enquire about the process and info. I am aware that if I did it now, next year would be a "discernment year" where a team from church would go through a regular group interview process with me through out the year, and then a couple of more formal years of process. However, I have also found out that the applications for ordination process starting next year closed 31 Aug. I will also need to do some extra study, which I was planning on anyway.

I got a call back from the BUV on Wednesday, and the next interviews are in May 2008, to start the process in 2009. I asked if it was possible to get an interview this year, so I can do the Discernment year in 2008. They are going to see if that is possible and get back to me.

So, if you can pray for me, (1) please seek guidance as to whether I should go for it, starting next year, (2) please pray that if it is the right timing, that the doors will open before me to start 2008, and (3) I will be protected from spiritual attack at this time, as I have lots of college work to do (essay, 2 email responses, exam).

Please let me know any thoughts (positive or negative) that have come about during this time of prayer. Thanks and God Bless, :) Jen

Been busy studying

Sorry I haven't been very vocal of late, I have been studying. Got an essay to finish today, plus have 2 email responses and an exam in the next 2 weeks. Fhew!!

I am loving the subject though. It is Theology: Church, Sacraments and Ministry. It has been facinating looking at church strutures, excommunication, females in ministry, worship, prayer, communion, etc. I love reading about why different church groups do things the way they do! It helps me figure out the way I think things should/might go if I did them.

My essay is a theological and biblical response to the Vatican II document lumen gentium, the 'Dogmatic Constitution of the Church'. I have really enjoyed doing it... 400 more words to go!

World Day Against the Death Penalty Petition

Got an email from Amnesty International Australia today...

"Today, Wednesday 10 October, is World Day Against the Death Penalty.

In the coming weeks the UN General Assembly will vote on a Moratorium on
capital punishment. Over 20,000 people worldwide are awaiting execution by their
own governments. Amnesty International takes a consistent and principled stance
against the death penalty, and continuously campaign for unconditional reversal
of every sentence.

We believe that human rights are inalienable and belong to everyone
regardless of their ethnicity, religion or status.

Now is a time for a worldwide end to capital punishment. Sign the petition to Abolish the Death Penalty. "

Let's remember to stand up for justice.

Facebook

I having fun discovering the world of facebook!

Tagged: About Me meme

Paul tagged me, so now it is my turn to tell you 8 things about myself:

1. I have three favouite colours - my main one is pink (but not "medicine" pink), but I also love chocolate brown and green.

2. I am passionate about food - I love to cook it, eat it, and share it with others! I believe the world of love revolves around food - and I believe every gathering of people, be it work or play, should be centred around food. But not crap food. Life is too short ofr crap food!

3. I am also passionate about HIV/AIDS and injustice in the world today - especially in the third world. So I support Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History.

4. I am allergic to cats, dogs, gardenias and floral fragrances.

5. My favourite food is... well, for cuisine I'd choose Indian... for dessert I'd choose creme brulee... for night I'd choose cheese and wine (particularly love camembert and merlot)... for day I'd choose lattes and Llindt chocolate :) mmm food

6. I'm currently studying a B.Min at Morling College. In the past I have studied B.Teach (Early Childhood) and B.Ed and UWS Nepean and cake decorating at Community College

7. I am currently working as a Tupperware manager. I have previously worked with Global Interaction inspiring Young Adults in mission, with Baptist World Aid Australia as an intern looking at development in SE Asia, at Spotlight and KFC, and have taught primary school kids at Essington Christian Academy

8. David and I plan on being missionaries in Africa with Global Interaction. I would love to be connecting with the women in the villages, teaching them through song (and dance), and helping the women with HIV/AIDS and child-headed households do daily tasks like shopping and washing.

I have tagged Chon, Jenny, Geoff, Philip and Matt.

The Emmaus Walk

I went on the Emmaus Walk 2 weeks ago with the Maribyrnong Nth West team. It was a retreat type thing that went from Thurs night to Sun late afternoon (3 full days). I went on the Ladies walk, and my husband was a speaker on the Men's walk the week before. It was my first time and I didn't know fully what to expect.

There were five short talks a day that were about the basics of Christianity and a Christian life. They were helpful, practical and explained simply. In between we did relfections in groups on the talks which were anything from posters to songs to skits or wahtever. They were fun ways to solidify our understanding.

Also, throughout the weekend were times of silence, prayer, singing and communion.

It was a very vulnerable experience. I had to be really honest with God and myself about how I feel and have been going as a disciple of Christ.

I knew before I went I really did need this time spent with God. When I got there the first day or so I felt like crying and I didn't know why. I think in emotions and pictures and so I did know why I felt this way as yet. As the days went by I realised that because I was really missing deep friendships I was feeling very lonely. Sure, I have deep friendships, but with people in Sydney not down here in Melbourne. And the friends I have down here are great, but they are David's friends from way back, not my very own friends. I felt God saying to me at this time "I am here." This was great and I really took hold of that one night and layed down and just allowed myself to bask in his pressence. That brought me great peace and consolation!

Also, on the weekend I think I re-felt the call to Ordination. Will keep thinking and praying about that. Will also approach the Baptist Union of Victoria and ask what the process is.

I made some great friends and look forward to keeping in contact with them. One I'm going to ask if she'll be my mentor.

When I got letters from friends and family at the end, it really blew me away and I cried and cried! All of you who wrote to me were such a blessing!

Since Emmaus I got back to being regular in my quiet times and have initiated a prayer triplet with young two mums from my inlaws church. I am very relieved and excited about this! I am still feeling emotionally fragile and have the odd "sad" day. But I am spending more time in prayer.

Thanks for your support and prayers xxx

Launch of Missional Concepts Consulting

Our good friend John Smulo and his mate Phil Wyman have just launched their Missional Concepts Consulting ministry. Here is an excerpt from John's blog about it.

Phil Wyman and I are forming a consulting group called Missional Concepts Consulting. Our vision is to help leaders, non-profit organizations, businesses, churches, and community groups to navigate the difficult to follow and often misunderstood world of New Religious Movements (NRM's), and similarly to help give guidance toward becoming missional in the 21st century.
Missional Concepts Consulting has the following goals:
- Mapping popular trends in the occult and NRMs among youth and adults
- Allaying fears and misunderstandings surrounding unique religious expressions
- Giving sensitivity training toward religiously diverse individuals and groups
- Identifying legitimate concerns attached to occult practices
- Understanding the worldview and the subculture of NRMs
- Creating an effective evangelistic and apologetic model towards the occult and NRMs.

Read more on John's blog.

How am I going?

Well, David and I have been married for 6 mths now, and I think we have ironed out all those initial issues like putting the dirty clothes in the basket and who will do the washing up, so we are getting quite settled with each other now. (It took me about 2 mths to start sleeping properly, getting used to having someone else in my bed, waking as the other stirred or turned over, etc)! :)

Our home is fairly set up now. Of course, there are still things we want to do, like renovate the laundry and repaint two bedrooms. We haven't done any of the garden up to this point, because nothing was growing (not even weeds). Now that the rain has started, I want to get out and start working on the garden beds. We have plans for the yard and need to make some new gardens beds for vegies and the formal and the native areas.

Our guest rooms are set up and have already started being well used! (We delight in having people visit and stay!)

David's teaching is going well and is now also also the Careers Advisor, which he will do very well. We are both working in our Tupperware business and I am now an Associate Manager, with my own team. I love it!

I have started studying again, after a semester off when I moved down here to Melbourne and we started learning how to be married. I am doing two distance subjects through Morling College by distance. I am doing a theology subject and an exegesis subject on Paul and Corinthians. I have never done distance learning before, and am quite nervous about it!

Honestly, how am I going?
I feel very much at home down here (originally from Sydney, for new readers). I love the town I live in and every time I go on a day trip I feel like I am on holidays!!

All the girls down here are very warm and welcoming, but I do yearn for those deep relationships that you have with people you know for years, those who have carried you through your worst and best moments, those who you've lived, laughed, and cried with. I really do miss my girls.

Please pray with me that I find and develop some key relationships here.

Rain, Rain

It has been raining here for about 6 weeks! I think the drought is moving towards breaking - praise God! The rain hasn't been heavy, but it has been most days that is has been sprinkling. I still have cracks in my front yard but the weeds and some grass has started growing! The drive around Melbourne West and towards the airport in Geelong and the drive to Ballarat are now green - no longer bare red earth and a few remnants on golden straw-like grass stubble.

It is an absolute delight to see the heavens open up! I have always loved the rain. I was born in the last major drought 25-30 odd years ago. Mum said when it was raining when I was a toddler I stood at the window for ages trying to figure out what was happening - I had never seen rain before! My grandparents owned a farm, so I know the importance of rain for rural communities.

After reading the Scriptures, I believe that rain is an predominately a blessing from God. He delights to quench the thirst of the land and its inhabitants, and bring new growth. I acknowledge that because of the theology of the fall, the earth groans from the consequences of man and that rain does not always fall in its due season, but when it does, we see God's goodness breaking through.

I love rain, and am joyous as I endure this cold, wet place I call my new home.

:) Jen

Make Poverty Personal

I have just realised I haven't written for a while... wow time flies!! It's been all the starting a new business, going to weddings interstate, having family holidays and celebrating Easter I think. But blogging is not the only thing I have neglected, I haven't done the washing for a while either (and we're running out of clothes)... better go and put a load on...

I am very excited that my homegroup agreed to jump head first into a topic of study very close to my heart. We are studying poverty using Ash Barker's book Make Poverty Personal.

We are only a chapter or so into the book at the moment, but I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts as I grapple with making poverty a personal issue and personal cause.