Onslow Church reopens

One of our churches in a remote part of the Pilbara region has reopened after 15 years, as the gospel expands in the North West.

Christians living in Onslow rejoiced at the news that, after major repairs to restore the building, ministry would begin again at St Nicholas’ for the first time since May 2004.

Local resident Jo Yates exclaimed: “We are all encouraged to get the roof of the church rocking and let it be seen that our church is being used.

“I am excited that community members will see people meeting to listen to God’s word. I pray this will bring hope to our community and encourage others to seek out the Lord,” she said.

The plan is for the Exmouth Minister to make the eight-hour return journey by car once a month to lead a service, disciple believers and meet with locals over two days.

During Covid-19, Revd Kees and Cindy Bootsma visited and threw open the doors virtually. They set up the Exmouth-Onslow Anglican Church so believers from both towns now fellowship online together.

Showing God’s love to seafarers

Dampier Chaplain to Seafarers Jake De Salis had just 30 minutes with a seriously ill seafarer named Bert before he was medevacked to Perth. In that time Jake told the mariner about salvation through Christ and they prayed together for Bert to come to know Jesus.

Jake says this can happen at Mission to Seafarer Centres in the North West because the seafarers receive a genuine experience of the love of God expressed through the centre staff.

The seafarer’s life is tough, spending up to nine months away from home as crew aboard giant ore carriers. Mission to Seafarer Centres provide physical, spiritual and emotional care to support them in their loneliness.

Jake had received a call asking him to visit Bert who had been hospitalised with severe gastrointestinal infection.

“I was there as salt and light for the sake of God because, in all honesty, I didn’t want to go to the hospital that day”, Jake said.

“But in the end, Bert knew that I was displaying something outside of myself for him to see. As a result we prayed that he would come to know Jesus and we prayed also for his family.

“We prayed for his young wife, his mother and his sisters. He talked about going to a church that a friend had asked him to attend but he had always declined to go.”

“All of this was because Bert could ‘see… good deeds and know to glorify your Father in heaven, and I praise God for that.”

Jake says the Mission to Seafarers is a precious ministry.

“When seafarers visit a port, they find most people are there to earn money (and big money in the Pilbara). People only have a passing and mostly professional interest in seafarers.

“However, it is completely different at the Seafarer Centres. The chaplain, the drivers, the staff and volunteers all have a focused interest only in the seafarer. The seafarers love this display from us and they relish it.”

Please pray for the good news of Jesus to comfort seafarers.  

Dusty boots bring outback joy

Local kids responded with great joy when the Dusty Boots Mission team arrived in Wickham recently.

The Dusty Boots team of volunteers from Youthworks College, Norwest Anglican Church in Sydney and BCA have partnered with Wickham Community Church to run a two-week mission each year in the Aboriginal community.

Wickham lay leader Naomi Warth said: "One highlight is seeing the utter joy on the faces of the children when the team rolls in each year.

"The local kids love the Bible and community activities and they really appreciate the love and unconditional acceptance they receive from Dusty Boots team members.”

Up to 200 residents, including more than 40 kids, heard about the love of Jesus through activities including breakfast club, afternoon kids’ club in the park, Sunday church and community dinner around the campfire with singing and a Bible talk.

Wickham Chaplain Matt Warth said the community meals enabled one lady to reconnect with church.

“The Dusty Boots team had such a genuine interest in her and her family that she wanted to hang out with us. This reignited her interest in church and she began to come along on Sundays. We are praying that the grace of God will draw her to Jesus and that she becomes a regular member of our fellowship.”

The relationships of trust that are built during mission mean that children reach out to Wickham church members during the year, long after the team has gone home.

Support Matt and Naomi Warth to minister in Wickham

Slim dusty and Jesus in nursing home

Broome nursing home residents love regular church services

Do you ever get requests for Slim Dusty songs during your church services? As surprising as it was at first, this is now something our Broome team look forward to when they visit the local nursing home.

Earlier this year, the chaplain from Germanus Kent House invited the church to conduct a new service. She was keen for the nursing home residents to have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be encouraged in their faith. So now, a group of women from Broome Anglican Church and men from Broome People’s Church come together to share the hope and love of Jesus with some senior members of the Broome community.

Chris Webb gives a short Bible talk and the Aboriginal men help lead the singing and the prayers. The ladies get alongside the residents to chat and pray for each person. The country style hymns are definitely the main drawcard and often lead Margaret to call for Slim and other country hits. Wendy also gets excited when the team sings verses of familiar choruses in her own Walmajarri language. Dan, a retired Catholic priest, is greatly encouraged by the Bible exhortation and Mary is comforted by prayers for her health concerns. There are usually a few staff members who overhear the gospel as well.

Stacey, one of the team from Broome Anglican Church says, “I enjoy visiting because of the joy that the singing gives to the residents and the staff.” Having supported her own mum in a nursing home, Stacey knows firsthand the importance of this ministry.

Chris is excited by the way that members of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal congregations work together to show God’s love to the wider Broome community. He says, “These little services are a great way for the men to serve others with the gifts that God has given them.”

Please pray for residents to be comforted by God’s promises and put their trust in Jesus for eternal life  

Can you serve God in the North West?

There is no retirement in the Bible, says Bill Ross with Jocelyn in Shark Bay

Shark Bay Minister Bill Ross has tried to retire twice. However, at 77 years of age he is still serving God in the North West alongside his wife Jocelyn. The couple ministers in Shark Bay – a nine-hour drive north of Perth. Next year will mark 50 years of ministry in this remote region.  

Asked why he wasn’t spending time on the golf course, Bill replied: “There is no retirement in the Bible. We saw that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. God said ‘go’and we went! How could we sit around and do nothing when the opportunity is there and the need is there?”

Bill has played an important role in raising up young ministers to lead isolated North West churches as he has discipled and worked alongside them for almost half a century.

In Shark Bay – a world heritage listed area - he preaches from the Bible each Sunday. During the week the congregation meets for Bible study and prayer. Bill and Jocelyn have joined every community group they can find and are praying that God will turn these contacts into connections for the gospel.

The joy of fellowship

Looking out the window presents a very different view from North West Australia. I see the fall colours of North and South Carolina, along with their cooler temperatures. Currently, I am visiting supporters in these states, speaking at churches, meeting key Christian leaders and sharing the work of our diocese with mission-minded individuals and groups. I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ whose vision reaches even the North West. 

‘Making disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28.19) is our key focus as we seek to proclaim the gospel faithfully, anchoring all we undertake in the trustworthy Word of God.

The privilege I feel in visiting churches, groups and individuals has given me a new appreciation for the list of Paul’s greetings that we find at the conclusion of his letters. The sense of gospel mission, and hence fellowship Paul shares with these people, is very encouraging. We see bonds stretching across the Mediterranean, centred in knowing Christ and making him known. 

So, he writes in Colossians 4 of folk such as Tychicus, who ‘is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord’ (v.7) while he asks the Colossians to pass on greetings to the Christians ‘at Laodicea’, along with ‘Nympha and the church in her house’ (v.15). But Paul is also concerned that the church at Colossae is aware of the fellowship they share with his fellow workers. He writes (v.10ff),

‘Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas … and Jesus who is called Justus. [They are] among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God’.

Friends, it is such a joy to fellowship in the gospel with you as you pray and support the work of the diocese. We continue to have incredible opportunities to bring the good news of Jesus to the nations passing through our region, whether as iron ore miners, tourists, agricultural workers or seafarers. Please pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up more workers for his harvest here in the North West, especially for a minister in Exmouth, as well as, chaplains for our missions to seafarers in Dampier and Port Hedland.

Please accept our greetings and heartfelt thanks, whether you are in Australia or overseas, as we fellowship in making disciples of all nations.

Bishop Gary

Wedding bells - Wangkatjungka

Wedding bells rang out at Wangkatjunka when Tony and Audrey decided to marry after coming  back to the Lord at a recent Christian convention.

“They wanted to bring their lives into line with God’s word in all sorts of ways,” said Broome Minister-in-Charge Michael Baines, who had the joy of helping them tie the knot.

“They desired to get married because this is what God wants for men and women who want to live together. Tony was happy for his community to see him being affectionate to his bride because he wants to be a good example of how to love your wife.”

The joyful occasion brought together the whole community of about 280 people who live some nine hours’ drive east of Broome.  

Michael explains that Broome Anglican parish has two services, a morning gathering and an evening indigenous service called the Broome People’s Church. The parish enjoys a growing partnership with the brothers and sisters at Wangkatjunka People’s Church.

“Tony assists in leading this church and it’s our privilege to help equip and support him with ministry resources provided by CMS Missionary Chris Webb, who leads the Broome People’s Church.”

Members from Broome have also helped repair the remote church building to make it suitable for meetings. 

NW ministry training program

“My heart’s desire is to clearly share the gospel with youth and young families, in the hope that God would save many.
”

— Brendan & Laura Hurley

The first candidate in our Training for North West Ministry program has been ordained in Geraldton for gospel ministry in remote WA.

Brendan Hurley is working alongside Paul Spackman at St George’s Bluff Point for four years as he prepares for the challenges of leading a church in this isolated region.

The North West Diocese recently launched the program which provides on-the-ground training to secure a pipeline of future gospel workers willing and equipped to serve.

Bishop Gary Nelson said the Diocese had concluded it was the only way to guarantee shepherds to lead God’s people.   

“We regularly have parishes without ministers and Mission to Seafarer Centres without chaplains. I travel all over Australia, speaking with many men in a bid to persuade them to consider ministry here.

“For example, Karratha is a big vibrant city and we’ve approached more than 40 people but sadly the post has been vacant for a year now.

“Yes, it’s isolated, the weather can be extreme and there is a high turnover of residents. However, there is great joy in proclaiming Christ and helping raise disciples in this part of God’s creation.”

In Geraldton, Brendan’s focus is on bringing the gospel to the next generation which means he will also work in partnership with the Cathedral parish.

“I became a Christian at 15 and since then I have just wanted to tell as many people as possible about what Jesus has done for them.

“My heart’s desire is to clearly share the gospel with youth and young families, in the hope that God would save many,” he said.

Brendan grew up in Sydney and worked as a banker but felt convicted that he should help grow God’s kingdom instead of growing customer bank accounts.